EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. ' 185 



REPORT OF RESEARCH ASSOCIATE R. M. SNYDER 



My Experiment Station work for the last year includes the following: 

 I. The study of ''Nitrobacter Soil Vaccine," a proprietary product for soil 

 treatment, was conducted during the summer of 1921. Following prelimi- 

 nary bacteriological work, the vaccine was studied on four plats in the field. 

 These plats comprised two different types of soil, and contained a variety of 

 legumes and non-legumes. Two applications of the vaccine were made — the 

 first when the plants were very small, and the second two weeks later. In 

 both cases the solution applied to the plats was prepared strictly according to 

 directions accompanying the material. The check strips were treated with a 

 similar preparation from which the \'accine was omitted. Throughout the 

 season the treated portions of the plats failed to respond more favorably than 

 the untreated, and at the close of the season were no better than the untreated 

 strips serving as checks. Data on relative yields and photographs of the 

 plats were obtained and placed on file. 



^ II. Studies on the bacterial decomposition of peat (Adams 2c) are being 

 •continued. In the fall of 1921 the crop on the peat cylinders used in this 

 connection was harvested and threshed. Separate weighings of the seed, 

 stems and leaves were made. Samples of soil from both the cropped and un- 

 cropped cylinders were taken and analyzed for total numbers of bacteria, 

 actinomycetes, and molds, free nitrogen fixers, coli-aerogenes organisms, 

 nitrifiers, ammonifiers, aerobic and anaerobic cellulose decomposers, sulfo- 

 fiers, etc. Studies were also conducted on the ability of the flora from each 

 cylinder to decompose raw rock phosphate. This work is being repeated on 

 samples obtained at the time of planting in the spring of 1922, and it is 

 planned to make similar determinations at intervals throughout the growing 

 season. Physico-chemical analyses are being conducted on the drainage 

 waters obtained from the cylinders. The amount of plant food rendered 

 soluble in the peat bears a close relation to that removed by the crop and 

 drainage water together. Work is being pursued in the laboratory on the 

 influence of various organisms in pure culture on raw peat. When once the 

 bacterial flora causing dissolution of insoluble plant food has been deter- 

 mined, the handling of peat soils may then be so modified as to facilitate the 

 decomposition and dissolution of the unavailable plant food present. 



[R. M. Snyder.] 



Mr. Cooledge has been able to devote nearly all of his energy to research 

 on the technical and applied phases of his major project. His method of de- 

 termining the actual keeping quality of milk and dairy products is beginning 

 to receive the recognition which it merits. He has devoted some time to 

 guiding the research studies of graduate students. 



