SOILS FERTILIZERS. 1121 



The efficiency of pure culture inoculation for legumes, V. L. Stkvkxs aiul 

 J. C. Temple (North Carolina l^ta. Ri)t. HXH, pi>. .'iS-Hl). — The history of inves- 

 tigations on this suhject is reviewed, the advantages and disadvaiitajjes of soil 

 and pure culture iuotndation are discussed, and laboratory and pot experiments 

 to determine the purity and efficiency of liquid cultures prepared and distributed 

 by this Department are reported. The results obtained are brietiy snumiarized 

 as follows : 



•' ^lany of the cultures when received were devoid of live organisms of any 

 kind. 



" In nuiltiplying the cultures, oven under cleanly laboratory conilitions, there 

 is gross contamination by molds, yeasts, and foreign bacteria. 



" In the pot experiments there was rarely any increase in the number of 

 tubercles due to inoculation. The cultures here used were obtained directly 

 from the National Department of Agriculture, and were fresh. They were prob- 

 ably of as good (piality as is to be obtained and were presumably superior to 

 the conunercial cultures upon the market. 



*• While the number of tests here recorded is not large, it is to be noted that 

 these tests were made under circumstances highly favorable to the cultures, and 

 it is a reasonable supposition that failure would be more liable to occur in actual 

 farm practice than in these pot tests. 



" It therefore appears that the method of iuoculatiou with liquid cultures, as 

 at present prepared, is uncertain and unreliable, and not to be recommended as 

 a substitute for the method of inoculation with soil containing the appropriate 

 organisms." 



Pure cultures for legume inoculation, K. F. Kellerman {t^ckace, n. scr., 

 28 (IHUS). Xo. 706, 1)1). JO, 51). — The author takes exception to the conclusions 

 reached by F. L. Stevens and J. C. Temi)le in the report of the North Carolina 

 Experiment Station for 1907 (see above) regarding the low value of cultures 

 for nodule-forming organisms of leguminous plants prepared by this Depart- 

 ment, rei)orts tests which do not bear out these conclusions, and calls attention 

 to certain conditions which might explain the low results obtained in the North 

 Carolina exiieriments. 



Legume bacteria, S. F. Edwards and B. Barlow {0)itario Dcpt. Agr. Bill. 

 Hi), pp. 1!>, fiy^. Z'S). — This bulletin summarizes rei)orts of inoculation experi- 

 ments by Canadian farmers during 1006 and 1907 with cultures prepared and 

 distributetl by the Ontario Agricultural College. During 190G, 375 cultures were 

 distributed. From the farmers to whom these cultures were sent, 120 reports 

 were received, of which 72 showed apparent benefit from inoculation, and 48 

 no benefit. In 1907, 372 cultures were distributed. Of the 124 reports received 

 from which any conclusion can be drawn, 67 showed apparent benefit, 57 no 

 benefit. 



On the behavior of nitrate in paddy soils, G. Daikuhara and T. Imaseki 

 (Bui. Imp. ('cut. Agr. Expt. ,S7«. Japan, I (WOl), No. 2, pp. 7-3(i, pis. 2). — It has 

 been suggested that the low efficiency of nitrate of soda on paddy rice is due 

 to the fact that rice grown on paddy soils is deficient in carbohydrates (sugars) 

 necessary to the complete assimilation of the nitric acid. The authors found, 

 however, no difference in sugar content of paddy and upland rice. 



In laboratory studies of the rate of denitrification in humus soil, sandy loam, 

 and heavy clay, it was found that denitrification was most rapid in the first 

 two, but very slow in the third. Sterilizing the soils with steam, chloroform, 

 or mercuric chk»rid prevented formation of nitrites, thus indicating that the 

 deuitrification was due to bacterial action. The addition of organic compounds 



