The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-03-15
Use of Cultures on Alfalfa, Clover.
VetCh and Peas Recon-
mended by N. A. c.
COLLEGE MAKES A SUPPLY
Offers Them to Farmers at Cost to
Encourage Observation-Disclosures
ton of Soy Beans Worth
Trying.
From Department of Bacteriology,
Michigan Agricultural College.

every possible means at MS ulSpOSul
for the keeping up of production. With
some crops good results can be OBJ
tanned by the sowing of improved,
high yielding varieties; with others
measures that will check the inrOads
of plant diseases are helpful, and with
still a third class of crops the legumes.
incubation of the seed before 1t is
planted, or incubation of the soil in
which the seed is to be planted is
valuable in assisting the plants to at
tain a maximum growth. AS every
farmer knows, the legume crops are
clover, alfalfa, sweetclover, peas
beans, cowpeas, soy beans and vetch.
For some years this department has
been making inquiries to ascertain the
effectiveness of incubation in encour-
aging development of legume crops
and while the information obtained
has not been as comprehensive and
enlightening as might be wished for,
the facts accumulated are neverthe-
less of much value. Our inquiries, of
course, have been conducted among
the farmers of Michigan.
From answers made in response to
these inquiries ii is recognized that in
oculatiOn for alfalfa is essential, and
with other crops, the indications are
that incubation should be practiced
for clovers, vetch and peas, unless the
farmer knows he can secure abundant
nodule-formation in his soil without
rt al 70
cordingly continue To advise inocula-
ton of these plants until we have as
certained beyond all reasonable doubt
that there is no need for il, or that
no good can be derived from the prac-
tice.
How about incubation for soy
beansT many have asked. The Opin-
ion of some of our field men should be
mentioned on this point.
This country" says Jason Wood
man, agricultural agent for Kaluma-
zoo, "raises good many soy beans.
When we first started growing them
we used the cultures from the colleges
for incubation. Where these cultures
were used, nodules developed, but
somewhat sparingly. However, they
served to give us n start in inocula-
ton.
"Uninoculated soy beans, as q rule,
produce no nodules on the roots. We
grow soy beans here for two or three
years in succession on the same land,
and develop an inoculating plot by
thick seeding. From these inoculating
plots we take the dirt and apply il to
the beans by the glue method, and so
obtain much better results than we do
by use OF the cultures themselves. In
asmuch as we have plenty of inOculat-
ed dirt In our county, there has been
no call for cultures In the last two
years. If, however, dirt is not obtain
able, cultures should be used if they
can he had"
ions upon this subject are L. \. Far
rand and J. NJ. Wendt.
IL know of farmers" declares Mr..
Farrand, "who would not sow soy
beans or cowpeas in fields where these
crops have not been grown before
without inoculating the seed"
IL do not believe cultures are nee
essary at all for cowpeas," Mr.. Wendt
says, but all our farmers seem to
have much confidence in the value of
culture for soy beans"
Among farmers question frequent
ly asked is: why are cultures neces-
sary for any crops?"
As every farmer is aware, his crops
obtain their food from the soil. This
food consists of number OF different
elements, one of which is nitrogen,
and unless this is kept up by frequent
replenishing the soil soon becomes ex-
hausted. What the cultures do is help
the plant to maintain this nitrogen
supply. These cultures consist of mill
lions of bacteria, or bugs" as some
people call them, which possess the
power of taking the nitrogen out of
the air which circuiares through the
soil and making it available to the
crop. BY mixing these cultures up
with the seed of legumes before It is
planted colonies of the bacteria form
nodules on the roots Of the developing
plants. A different strain Of these bac-
terra Is necessary for all Of the le-
gumes-clover, alfalfa, sweet clover.
peas, beans, cowpeas, soy beans and
vetch.
Cultures can be obtained either from
commercial concerns or from the de-
partment Of bacteriology OF the col
n.
instructions inclosed with them. II is
most advisable, perhaps, to secure your
supply, IL you need any, from M. A. c.,
which will furnish the cultures to you
Mt cost, since the enterprise is one
supported by the state to encourage
production. One culture, or enough
to inoculate bushel Of seed, can be
obtained for % cents, either by writing
In yourself. or by having your county