BACTERIA IN AGRICULTURE. 337 



invented a certain new and useful method of inoculating seeds with micro- 

 organisms, (for which I have applied for a patent in Germany, dated February 

 23, 1900) of wliich the following is a sj)ccification : 



This invention relates to a method of inoculating seeds with microorgan- 

 isms. For this purpose the seeds in a suitable container are covered with pure 

 water, so that they are mechanically cleaned, and the damaged or dead seeds 

 float to the surface of the water. The water and the impurities are then 

 poured off and the cleaned seeds are left in tlie water until they begin to swell, 

 whereupon there is a loosening of the external husk of the seed and an increase 

 in the volume of the grain, so that the seed offers an increased surface for the 

 microorganisms and the latter obtain easy access, owing to the loosening of the 

 husk. The seed thus prepared is sown directly without admixture of any 

 other substance. 



The application of this method is to the inoculation of seeds with bakteroids 

 of the microorganisms of the Leguminosse. Very shortly after the seed has 

 become imbedded in the soil nodule (root tubercle) formation begins. The 

 danger of killing the organisms for the inoculation by harmful soil influences 

 is effectively obviated, owing to the fact that these organisms in consequence 

 of the rapid germination quickly become active. On the other hand, this danger 

 of damage or death is always present in a seed which has been merely inoculated 

 with the liquid and has not been allowed to swell therein, so that it is a long 

 time in germinating. 



Although not specifically stated in the above specification, it is evi- 

 dent that the Hartleb process is a method of applying pure rhizobia 

 cultures to seeds of leguminous plants only. Whether the method 

 offers any advantages over the method of Kobbe and Hiltner is ques- 

 tionable. In any case it would prove practically advantageous only 

 under the conditions referred to under the discussion of nitragin. 

 Although the method has been freely discussed and experimented upon 

 in Germany, I am not aware that the fertilizer is on the market, cer- 

 tainly not in the United States. 



There is on the market a third patented germ or microbic soil 

 fertilizer of German origin known as 'alinit.' It consists essentially 

 of a pure culture of the soil bacillus known as Bacillus Ellenbachiensis 

 alpha or Bacillus EllenhacMensis Caron. The germ was first brought 

 to the attention of agriculturists by Caron, a land owner of Germany, 

 who first isolated it and called attention to the fact that it had the 

 power of chemically binding the free nitrogen of the air. The 

 microbe is undoubtedly closely related to B. megatherium and perhaps 

 also to B. anthracis. According to some authorities it is especially 

 concerned in assimilating free nitrogen for gramineous plants (grass 

 family, Graminece). If this is true it may prove of great value to 

 grain growers. 



The commercial alinit is a dry pulverulent substance of a yellow- 

 ish gray color, with about 10 per cent, moisture and 2.5 per cent, 

 nitrogen. It is evidently prepared by mixing spore-bearing pure cul- 

 tures of the bacillus of Caron with a base of starch and albumen. It 



VOL. LXIII. — 22. 



