REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. XXT 



varieties often escape the worst periods of drought and are less likely 

 to be injured by rusts and other fungous and insect pests. Gratifying 

 progress has also been made during the year in breeding rust-resistant 

 varieties and nonshattering sorts. 



NITROGEN-GATHERING BACTERIA. 



Attention was called in my last report to the importance of nitrogen 

 in the nutrition of plants, and the discovery of a new method of culti- 

 vating the bacteria which gather nitrogen in connection with legumi- 

 nous crops was announced. This method has been perfected during the 

 past year. The reason for the failure of former work in this line, 

 both in this countr}" and Europe, has been determined, and a new, 

 simple, cheap, and thoroughly satisfactory method of growing and dis- 

 tributing the tubercle bacteria for all the important leguminous crops 

 has been perfected. The nitrogen-gathering power of the bacteria 

 grown by our new method is at least five times as great as the nitrogen- 

 gathering power of the ordinary forms found in nature, and the new 

 forms, instead of being restricted to certain legumes, have a much 

 wider range of activity. Field tests on a large scale were started dur- 

 ing the year, and advance reports from the cooperating farmers show 

 extreme!}" favorable returns from the use of these organisms. 



Botanical Investigations and Experiments. 



During the jes.r the botanical investigations of this Bureau were 

 pushed forward with vigor. Some of the more important results 

 accomplished in this field are outlined below: 



THE COMMERCIAL tJRADING OF GRAIN. 



A movement to secui'e an improvement in methods of inspection 

 and toward greater uniformity in work of inspection departments of 

 the large grain markets is now well begun, as a result of an organiza- 

 tion of the chief inspectors of these markets. The interest manifested 

 in this movement by all branches of the grain trade gives reason for 

 believing that there may result from it a system of inspection and 

 grading, maintained by the trade organizations, which shall be honest, 

 efficient, and uniform throughout the countr}-, and wh-ich .shall insure 

 to the farmer a premium for high qualit}" of product, and to the con- 

 sumer the quality of grain he demands and pa\'s for. The Department 

 is aiding this movement as much as possible by cooperating with these 

 chief inspectors in working out simple and practicable methods for 

 determining and accurately stating the quality of grain and studying 

 causes and methods of prevention of deterioration of grain in storage 

 and in transit. 



