201 



Once inoculated, whether by natural or artificial means, 

 a soil remains inoculated as long as the same legume is grown 

 upon it. Indeed the growth of several non-leguminous crops 

 (such as cotton, corn, oats, etc.,) does not cause the loss of the 

 ability of this soil to produce tubercle-bearing plants of the 

 original legume. 



Cause of Frequent Failure of Nitragin. 



The effects of Nitragin, given in a preceding paragraph, 

 are sufficiently startling to convince the most conservative 

 that inoculation comes as a new and revolutionary factor in 

 the agriculture of the Gulf States. In view of the revealed 

 ability to grow clovers, vetches, etc., on soils previously unfit 

 for them, the possible benefits from inoculation can scarcely 

 be overestimated. 



But he who attempts to use Nitragin will, if he overlooks 

 certain considerations, meet with some disappointments. The 

 greatest obstacle to the general use of Nitragin in certain 

 "cloverless" regions is the fact that this valuable material is 

 perishable. It loses its inoculating property if long exposed 

 to light, or if subjected to much heat, or if kept for more 

 than two or three months. It endures longer in a cool than 

 in a warm temperature. Nitragin shipped from Germany 

 early enough to reach the Southern farmer in time for use on 

 fall-sown seed runs great risk of being exposed to a tempera- 

 ture sufficiently high to cause fermentation, and consequent 

 death, of the germs which it contains. 



So many bottles of Nitragin ordered in time for use in 

 our fall experiments have reached us in a worthless or dead 

 condition that we would advise those who may wish to ob- 

 tain a few bottles of Nitragin as a "starter," to order the ship- 

 ment made from Germany about the first of February, so 

 that the Nitragin will arrive in time for use on seed sown in 

 March. While we have found to be dead some of the Nitragin 

 imported in winter, the losses have been less at this season 

 than with importations in the early fall. 



In some cases this dead Nitragin had been used on seed 

 sent out to farmers as "inoculated" before its worthless con- 



