218 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



seed but rarely and in favorable seasons only, but affording an abundance of 

 leaves and stems. On the date mentioned, the pods were well formed but the 

 seeds hardly more than well started and much less than half grown. 



The seed had been sown in rows eighteen Inches apart. From one of the 

 rows, which, in appearance, fairly represented the plot, there was measured 

 off eight feet in length. An area eighteen inches wide, with the row in the 

 middle and eight feet long was left standing while the earth about it was re- 

 •noved to the depth of eight inches. The plants in this eight feet of row were 

 then carefully removed, the dirt being washed away by a gentle stream of 

 water. Each rootlet was thus saved and the entire weight of the plants in the 

 eight feet of row, or twelve square feet of ground, was determined. The total 

 yield of the twelve square feet, including roots, stems and leaves, was then 

 taken to the laboratory, the roots separated from the stems at the point where 

 the mower knife would have cut at harvest and the weights of roots, nodules, and 

 stems and leaves separately taken. 



Exactly the same thing was done with a row of soy beans having no nodules. 

 The stems and leaves weighed 5.125 pounds from the area with nodules and 5.562 

 pounds from the area without nodules. The roots of the beans with nodules 

 weighed but .438 pounds and of those without nodules .625 pounds. The nodules 

 weighed but .16 pounds. 



In the early spring of 1904 ground was prepared for a repetition of the work 

 of 1903. After plowing and harrowing two plots were laid off, each a square 

 rod in area. Upon one of them there was applied a wheelbarrow load of soil 

 from a field which had borne soy beans for several years with roots well covered 

 with nodules. The other plot was left without inoculation. As the season 

 advanced, examination showed the roots of the soy beans on the inoculated area 

 to be well covered with nodules while the roots on the area not inoculated re- 

 mained free from them. 



The variety was again the Medium Green. The seed was good and the stand 

 perfect or nearly so. During the growing season no difference was noted in the 

 growth of the two plots, nor in the color of the foliage. The soil was fairly 

 fertile. It had borne sugar beets the year previous and clover the year before 

 that, receiving a coat of barnyard manure upon the clover sod. 



On the first of September, eight feet of row was taken from each plot for com- 

 parison. As in 1903, the roots were taken for nine inches on each side of the 

 row and to a depth of eight inches. The dirt was carefully removed and all the 

 rootlets and nodules saved. There were 52 plants, weighing 4 lbs. 5 oz on the 

 eight feet of inoculated row 49 plants weighing 3 lbs. 12 ozs. on the eight tg^ of 

 uninoculated row. The roots and nodules weighed 9 oz. inoculated and l^^PlDts 

 but 6 oz. from the uninoculated plants. .ff*^ 



The next table gives the chemical composition of the dry matter of t • - v -ral 

 parts of the plants mentioned. 



COMPOSITION OF DRY MATTER OF SOY BEANS, WITH AND WITHOUT NO 



c|p 



