attributed to the greater root development of the legumes and, in conse- 

 quence, their ability to obtain more nourishment from the soil. 



The tubercles or nodules on the roots of clovers, peas, etc., had been 

 noticed for a considerable time (since 1687). Some thought they were of 

 parasitic origin, and others saw in them simply excrescences or galls, and 

 a few thought they were the normal growths of the plant ; and it was not 

 until 1886 that two German scientists, Hellriegel and Willfarth, showed 

 that the development of the root nodules was intimately connected with the 

 growth of the whole plant, and that the assimilation ot the nitrogen of the 

 atmosphere by legumes was associated with the development of the nodules 

 or tubercles on the roots. Later investigators confirmed these results, and 

 these discoveries were quickly followed by the detection of the bacteria in 

 the nodules, their isolation and growth on artificially prepared food and 

 the ability of these cultivated organisms to produce other nodules when 

 brought into contact with suitable legumes growing in sterilized or germ 

 free soil. 



The first practical applications of these discoveries was the introduction 

 of cultures or growths of these bacteria for application to the seeds of the 

 various legumes. The trade name of Nitragin was given by Nobbe, the 

 inventor of this method, to these cultures, and the product was extensively 

 advertised and exploited by a German firm of manufacturing chemists. 

 Numerous experiments were conducted with this material. Some succeeded 

 and others failed, but after a few years' trial the manufacturers discontinued 

 the sale of this article. 



About 1902 the study of the root-nodule organism was undertaken by 

 the Laboratory of Plant Physiology of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture, and they perfected a method by which these organisms could 

 be sent out to farmers and used for inoculating seed. Up to November 

 1904, over 12,000 packages of inoculating material were distributed, and 

 the reports of 3,540 experimentors showed that 79 per cent, of these were 

 successful. 



Recently, however, some complaint has been made concerning the 

 quality of the cultures sent out by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 the New York Experiment Station reporting the results of a bacteriological 

 examination of 18 packages of treated cotton (the nodule-forming bacteria 

 dried upon absorbent cotton) in which no living nodule bacteria were found. 



The failure of these cultures was due to their method of preparation, 

 but the N. Y. Experiment Station state that "they should not be under- 

 stood as being opposed to the idea of treating the seed of legumes with 



living bacteria.' 



Distribution of Cultures in Canada. 



During the spring of 1905, the Bacteriological Department of the 

 Ontario Agricultural College sent out a number of samples of the nodule- 

 forming bacteria for experimental purposes. These samples were sent 

 out in small bottles, in such condition that all the farmer had to do was to 

 mix the contents of the bottle with a measured quantity of water, and then 

 apply to his seed ; this method doing away with the " building up" process 



