INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1919-20 109 



REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL 



BACTERIOLOGIST. 



(J. H. Walton, M.A., B.Sc; 



I. Administration. 



Mr. C. M. Hutchinson, CLE., Imperial Agricultural 

 Bacteriologist, was in charge of the Section till 10th April, 

 1920, when he proceeded on eighteen months' combined 

 leave. Proposals for the expansion of the Section received 

 sanction with effect from 26th October, 1919. Under this 

 scheme I was appointed Assistant Bacteriologist from that 

 date. 



I was absent on six months' privilege leave from 27th 

 August, 1919, and took over charge of the Section from Mr. 

 Hutchinson on 11th April, 1920. 



Mr. N. V. Joshi, B.A., M.Sc, L.Ag., First Assistant, 

 was appointed to act as Assistant Bacteriologist from that 

 date, and Mr. K. S. Viswanatham, B.A., as First Assistant. 



II. Training. 



Mr. K. Adinarayan Rao, a student from Mysore State, 

 completed his training in agricultural bacteriology on the 

 5th of April, 1920. 



III. Soil Biology. 



Nitrification. Investigations of the nitrification of 

 cowdung, cow urine, and sheep fold manure were carried 

 out, and a paper on the subject was read at the Indian 

 Science Congress, Nagpur, 1920, by Mr. Joshi. In the case 

 of cowdung it was found that, when added in the fresh 

 state, no nitrate accumulation took place, but when added 

 after storing, under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, 

 about one-third of its nitrogen was converted into nitrate. 

 The nitrogen of the urine was rapidly converted into nitrate 

 in the soil. The inhibiting effect of excess of carbohydrate 



