Vermont IDaibymen's Association. 135 



A. I should say that the orifice is smaller than that of the 

 Gurler pail. It is not difficult to use and it keeps out 90 per cent, 

 of the bacteria. 



Q. Is it a patent pail? 



A. Not so far as I am aware. Any tin man can make it. 



Mr. Smith : — Would you advise an average dairym'an to use 

 absorbent cotton ? 



A. Mr. Gurler gets 10 to 12 cents a quart for milk. He can 

 afford to use it; but I doubt if it is wise for the average farmer 

 to do so. He will prefer the pail I have mentioned even though 

 it is a little more difficult to clean than the common pail. Do you 

 use the Gurler pail, Mr. Smith? 



Mr. Smith : — I have one but do not use it right along. 



O. Do you place this pail above the Gurler, if you were do- 

 ing a high grade work? 



A. No. I know of no pail as good as the Gurler because 

 absorbent cotton is the best medium extant for keeping out bac- 

 teria ; but its cost makes its use impracticable to the ordinary 

 man. 



O. Tell us something about the bacteria of alfalfa. 



A. The micro-organisms which are prepared by the Gov- 

 ernment live in a sort of co-partnership with legumes. They are 

 sent in a package by mail containing two powders and a fluff of 

 cotton batten. Their use is simplicity itself. Place the cotton 

 fluff (which contains the bacteria) and powder No. i in a pail of 

 lukewarm water and let it stand (warm) for twenty-four hours; 

 then add powder No. 3 and let stand another day, still keeping 

 the water warm. The fluff contains the bacteria, and the powders 

 are plant food. In forty-eight hours the water will look like 

 whey and there will be countless myriads of bacteria swarming 

 therein. Then immerse the seed, moistening it and then spread 

 on a dry floor to dry. Every seed will thus be inoculated with 

 the organisms. It is general experience that inoculated seed 

 does better than the uninoculated seed. 



Mr. Jenne : — Would it pay to use this process ? 



Mr. Hills : — Yes. The work takes onlv a few minutes, does 

 no harm and always does good. 



Q. Should this process take place just before sowing the 

 seed or at any convenient time? 



A. Whenever convenient. The bacteria can lie dormant on 

 the seed for several years. 



O. Where did you send to get it? 



A. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Ask 

 for inoculating bacteria for the specific crop you want to grow. 

 Only legumes are thus treated. Grass, corn or cereals are in no 

 wise benefitted. 



