17 



Little benefit may result from innoculation : 



1. If the soil does not contain sufficient of the other necessary plant 

 foods, especially potash and phosphoric acid. 



2. If the soil is too rich in nitrogen'; in this case it is better to plant 

 crops that are nitrogen feeders rather than nitrogen accumulators. 



3. If the soil is not properly cultivated and freed from weeds. 



4. If the soil is already thoroughly inoculated with the nitrogen-fixing 

 bacteria. 



Methods of Inoculating. 



There are three methods of inoculating the crop : — 



1. By transfer of soil. 2. By treating the soil. 3. By treating the 

 seed. 



In the first case, soil which is known to contain the nodule-producing 

 organisms is scattered over the land where it is desired to grow a crop of 

 legumes. In other words, the land is top-dressed with soil from an infected 

 field. This method has given good results, but is expensive when the soil 

 has to be brought any distance, and in certain sections of the country such 

 a practice is fraught with danger, as weed seeds and certain diseases are 

 apt to be transferred from one field to another by this means. 



In the second method, a quantity of soil is moistened with large 

 quantities of culture, and this is mixed with more dry soil, and then used 

 as a top dressing on the land that is to be planted. We have not tried 

 this method of soil inoculation, and it is not convenient for our method of 

 culture distribution. For small gardens, liquid cultures mav be used and 

 applied by means of a watering can to the young plants, but it is far 

 better to have the bacteria on the seed so that the plant may become inoc- 

 ulated when they commence to grow. 



The third method, seed treatment, consists in moistening the seed 

 with a culture or growth of the desirable bacteria, allowing the seed to dry 

 for a short time and immediately sowing it. We recommend that cultures 

 supplied by us be used for seed inoculation. 



Directions for the use of Nitro-cultures Supplied by the Bacteri- 

 ological Department of the Ontario Agricultural College. 



The culture is sent you with the understanding that it is to be used 

 for experimental purposes and that you will use it as directed and report 

 to us your success or failure. 



1. For every 60 pounds of seed to be treated take one and one-half 

 pints of clean cool water in a small pail. 



2. Pour some of the water into the bottle, shake the bottle and pour 

 back the water into the pail. Repeat this until the culture is all rinsed 

 from the bottle into the pail and the water in the pail is clouded. The 

 jelly-like substance in the bottle is agar, it will not dissolve, but mav be 

 broken up and stirred in the water. 



