491 



New experiments in soil inoculation, Schmitter ( Wochensch. tier 

 pomm. okon. (its., ISDj^pp. 251, ^^.5;.^).— These expeiiiaeiits were made on 

 the fields of the Agricultural Institute of the Leipsic University. Three 

 plats (size not given) were selected from different parts of the field. 

 Plat 1 was located in a garden; plat L' was among the experimental 

 plats; and plat 3 was from a meadow long in grass, on which no pa]>il- 

 ionaceous plants had been grown, the object being to secure a piece of 

 land which had Ivng been uncultivated and free from leguminous growth. 

 April 15 half of each of the plats was manured at the rate of 350 pounds 

 superphosphate and 430 pounds of potash-magnesium sulphate per acre. 

 Each plat was then divided crosswise into eight strips, each 1 meter 

 wide, and separated from each other by intervening strips. Yellow 

 lupine was sown on all the plats, and on strips 2, 4, 0, and 8 of each 

 plat fresh lupine soil, rich in bacteria, was sown at the rate of from 1,800 

 pounds to 9 tons per acre. Lupine had not previously been grown on 

 any of the plats and all were very much reduced in fertility. 



The lupines made a rather weak growth on all the plats till the last of 

 June, when a more luxuriant growth commenced. On plats 1 and 2 this 

 growthseemed to be equal on all the strips, andno difference was percepti- 

 ble between the growth on the inoculated and the uninoculated strips up 

 to the time of harvest. As com j)ared with j^revious observations, the root 

 tubercles were very late in forming and scanty in number. The number 

 of tubercles on the roots of plants from different strips was counted and 

 found to average about the same for all the strips of plats 1 and 2. 



On plat 3, however, the case was different. At first there was no per- 

 ceptible difference between the inoculated and the uninoculated strii)s, 

 but about the middle of July the inoculated strips commenced to gain 

 and soon were distinguishable from the uninoculated strii^s even at a dis- 

 tance. When the tubercles were counted more and better-developed 

 tubercles were found on the plants from inoculated strips. 



The plants on all three plats were harvested September 17 and dried 

 under cover. Measurements were made on ten representative plants 

 from eaoh strip, and the weights taken of the air-dry j)lants (hay and 

 seeds separately). The results on plats 1 and 2 showed no advantage 

 from inoculating the soil. The results on plat 3 are given as follows : 



Results on inoculated and uninoculated strips of meadow land. 



Yield of lupine. 



Hay. 



Seeda. 



Length 

 of root. * 



Height 

 of plant. 



No. of root 

 tubercles 

 per phint. 



Strip No. 1 



2 inoculated 



3 



4 inoculated 



5 



6 inoculated 



7 



8 inoculated 



Total yield from inoculated strips . . . 

 Total yield from uninoculated strips. 



Kg. 



4,700 

 4,780 

 2,300 

 4,700 

 4,650 

 4,850 

 4,750 

 4,850 

 19, 180 

 16, 400 



Kg. 



2,850 

 2.950 

 2,350 

 2,650 

 2,400 

 2,800 

 2,550 

 2,800 

 11, 200 

 10, 100 



Cm. 

 17.5 

 20.4 

 20.4 

 21.1 

 17.9 

 19.6 

 20.4 

 23.0 



Cm. 



87.8 

 95.8 

 98.0 



100. 5 

 96.9 

 99.3 

 91.5 



102.0 



Length of longest root below the surface. 



