236 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



Dr. Jenkins. I do not think that bacteriologists can tell 

 whether they belong to the same species or not, but certainly 

 they are two different strains, if they are not distinct species. 

 They are distinct strains so that a culture that would inoculate 

 an alfalfa field would not with the same efficiency inoculate red 

 clover. I am quite sure they are distinct strains, if not species. 

 Recent observations and tests at one of our agricultural sta- 

 tions, which were repeated by bacteriologists in several other 

 stations, showed that cultures which have been put out by some 

 of the commercial companies with which to inoculate alfalfa 

 fields, showed that they were so full of fungi and other things 

 instead of being a pure culture that if they ever had any of 

 the organisms which would inoculate an alfalfa field to begin 

 with they were run out and destroyed by this fungi and were 

 absolutely worthless for the purposes for which they were sold. 



Question. If we sow alfalfa with red clover wiM it help 

 you out in any way? I do not know whether anyone here is 

 familiar with the work of Mr. Goble at Bristol. He has been 

 trying for a number of years to get some alfalfa on his farm, 

 and has tried both by sowing it in the spring and also in the 

 fall. This year, about the last of June or the first of July he 

 mixed it up with red clover. Will the clover help the alfalfa ? 



Dr. Jenkins. That I cannot say. It is frequently sown 

 with the clover crop. I never have tried it in that way. As 

 far as my results and knowledge of others have gone they have 

 not seemed to favor the use of any cover crop with it. They 

 have had better results without. In some cases, particularly 

 in the west, I have read of their using clover, but I think it 

 would only help it as a shelter or protection and not in any 

 way help the inoculation of the roots. 



Air. Matthews. Will the alfalfa do any better on land 

 that has the clover bacteria in it? I have the bacteria on my 

 clover. I am using clover as a cover crop, and I was thinking 

 of trying alfalfa, and wondering whether I would be more 

 likelv to succeed on the clover land. 



