No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 213 



mable value to the farmers of our country in the future redemption and improve- 

 ment of our lands." 



This plantation was also visited by me at the time of harvest and 

 the inoculated piece of 10 acres yielded one-half ton per acre more 

 peavine hay than 40 acres sown without treatment — this, notwith- 

 standing the fact that the 10 acre piece was seeded two weeks later 

 and was regarded by the owner as a poorer piece of ground. 

 Nodules were present on both fields, showing no striking lack of 

 the bacteria in the soil. 

 A few cases of special interest may be referred to in passing: 

 For instance, the effect of inoculation on a growing crop; of course, 

 the usual application is preliminary to seeding. From East Bend, 

 North Carolina, a rooent report shows what may hp donp in this way 



"Last summer you sent me two packets of alfalfa bacteria which I carefully 

 applied according to directions. "With one packet I top dressed a lot which had 

 been mown three times. The crop was light and looked yellow. I harrowed in 

 the inoculated soil and soon noticed that the growing crop had turned to a 

 healthy green and our next mow was the heaviest we had. I am much impressed 

 with its value." 



The duration of the effect of inoculation is also a matter of some 



importance. It is generally conceded that the bacteria will live 



over in the soil from season to season, unless too long a time elapses 



between sowing the same legume, that is, within three to six years. 



This is illustrated in the following report from Gillham, Arkansas: 



"Two years ago I received a package of inoculating material from you for 

 alfalfa, and a year ago I reported my alfalfa a failure because of weeds, 

 although the inoculation took. I plowed up the ground and planted it in 

 Kaffir cor e n and raised a better crop than I expected. This year or spring I 

 sowed it again to alfalfa and the nodules cover the roots of this new sowing. 

 It was two years ago that I inoculated the ground by mixing the culture with 

 soil and harrowing in it. I used about two buckets of bacteria inoculated 

 soil to the acre and sowed it broadcast." 



Somewhat similar results are reported from Knoxville, Tennessee: 



"In the fall of 1903, you were kind enough to send me enough of bacteria 

 culture to inoculate one acre for alfalfa. I applied it on one acre after manuring 

 the land with stable manure, and sowed the alfalfa. At the same time I 

 inoculated twelve acres with soil obtained from an old alfalfa field. This twelve 

 acres was also treated with stable manure before inoculation and before seed- 

 ing." 



The alfalfa came up beautifully but during the very cold open 

 winter which followed, both fields froze out. 



"I plowed up the twelve acres in the spring and again inoculated it with soil 

 and manured it. Again, I obtained a perfect stand on the twelve acres, but the 

 alfalfa plants did not seem to grow any after the last cutting and it froze out 

 in patches, though some of it is excellent. 



"Now for the one-acre field. In August last I plowed It and sowed It in 

 alfalfa, without re-inoculating] it. Tt came up at once and was 8 to 10 Inches 



