Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-04-08
THE STORY OF BACTERIA.

' 1886 that the Swellings upon the
roots of the alfalfa. pea, bean, vetch
and other members of the legumino-
sac family (name of those plants
that bear their seed in pods) were
inha bited by countless millions of
a tiny form of life, and that these
bacteria have the ability TO gather
Atmospheric Nitrogen, fix it in the
soil so that other bacteria could
make it available for plant food. is
considered by scientists to be the
greatest agricultural discovery.
The ancients knew that crops
planted on land from which a crop
of this family of plants had recently
been harvested were better for be-
ing on that land.
The Chinese have cropped the
same land for centuries, but between
the marketable crops they plant Pink
clover Ga vetch plant and spade
it under for green manure.
Both the ancients and Chinese
knew the results and gave credit to
the plant. Hellriegel proved that it
was not the plant but the bacteria
that lives within the swellings upon
the roots of this family of plants.
We, since childhood, have heard
of the busy "ant," but the ant is
put to shame by the industry of the
bacteria that are so small that 90
900 end on end would be an inch in
length. AS for industry, government
tables show that in tests covering 16
southern states this bacteria gath
ers an average of 1872 pounds Of nj
trogen per acre. Reports from Ger
many show upwards of 200 pounds
per acre per growing season as the
result of their work. A comparison
that means much to the agriculturist
is that the bacteria in an acre of we'll
inoculated legumes can gather as
much nitrogen as can be put on by
using from IL to 20 tons of well con-
served stable manure.
This is what incubation is doing
day after day where used intelligent
ly 1t is giving the rancher equal or
better results in increasing the
lands fertility than tons of stable
manure.
1.-THE work of bacteria must. come
more and more into consideration by
the rancher because nature uses
them to produce vast amount Of the
change that is going on around us.
In considering the value of legume
plants, you must take into account
the bacteria which they have assO-
ciated with them, and through which
they obtain their atmospheric nitro
gen. This is negligible matter,
maybe, If all legumes made use of
the same kind of bacteria. 1t is true
that the bacteria must have favora-
BILE soil conditions, but they are the
same favorable conditions that our
our plants require. A fact of impOr-
lance to the rancher is that the bac-
terra which thrives on the root OF
some legumes will not serve other
legumes. This is the reason for many
failures of alfalfa, the soy beans,
the cowpeas, vetch and other le-
gumes."
"The native bacteria were able to
produce nodules in considerable
numbers and to be Of moderate
benefit to the plants. The pure cul-
lures of virile bacteria under similar
conditions, however, caused more
than double the increase that may
be ascribed to the native bacteria. I"
Don't overlook the fact that the
rule of supply and demand is en-
phasized no place stronger than in
growing plants. 1.-THE demand Of the
plant against the ability of the soil
to meet the demand"
Authorities agree that nitrogen is
the one plant food most often limited
insupply.
Constant growing OF any one nom
leguminous GRIP on the same soil
naturally impoverishes the soil and
the tonnage produced will decrease.
This constant drain on the nitro
gen resources of the soil will reduce
1t to such an impoverished condition
that the production will be so small
as to make farming Improbable.
To overcome this condition, an in
ocuiated legume should be planted
with the grain, to-
/. Till the soil during the growth
of the grain and keep down the
weeds.
2. Furnish nitrogen gathered by
the nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the
roots of the legume.
8. Furnish water and plant food
by capillary attraction from the sub
soil, due to the tillage done by the
deeper roofing system Of the legume
plant.
In order to get results, the legume
must be inoculated, because unless
inoculated, It will take all its nitro
gen from the soil. A live soil Is
producing soil, bacteria are the life
OF the soil and a soil is dead only
when bacterial action is stopped
through some adverse circumstance.
Illinois Agricultural Experiment
Station, Bulletin No. o..
atmospheric nitrogen cannot be
used by any agricultural plants. ex-
cepting legumes, and even legumin-
Gus plants have no power to obtain
pitroOou from thu air un1pSc fhov