TJIl". XATURl^: PHOTOnRAP'TTr^RS 



87 



A Multiplicity of Young. 



Cincinnati, Ohio. 

 To the Editor : 



I send two puzzle pictures for the 

 readers of The Guidk to Nature. This 

 mother 'possum was caught on August 

 ist, 1914, because, as usual, she feigned 

 death or "played 'possum." Examina- 

 tion showed 'that nine young ones were 

 twined about her tail. Her captor car- 

 ried her for at least half a mile as shown 

 in one of the pictures. The entire family 

 is now confined in a public park in Chilli- 

 cothe, Ohio. The capture occurred on 

 the farm of ]\Ir. George Core, Frankfort. 

 Ohio. In view of the vanishing wild 

 life in this country, this seems to be well 

 worth publishing. I doubt if many such 

 finds are made now. I know Mr. Core 



THE MOTHER POSSUM AND ^UUNCt 



personally, and can vouch for the num- 

 ber of young. On looking up the sub- 

 ject I find that the 'possum may have 

 as many as sixteen young. There may 

 be two or three litters a vear. 

 Yours sincerely. 



G. A. HixxEx. 



Tests in Soil Fertility. 



The new theory of soil fertility, that 

 fertility is due to bacteria in the soil 

 and sterility to infusoria that prey 

 upon the bacteria, is soon to have a 

 thorough try-out. An association has 

 been formed in Enoknd of nursery- 

 men and market gardeners, who have 

 subscribed ten thousand dollars for 

 the plant of an experiment station and 

 promised another fortv-five hundred a 

 year for running expenses. 



The special line of study will be the 

 partial sterilizing of soils to just the 

 degree which destroys the infusoria 

 but spares the somewhat more re- 

 sistant bacteria. Laboratory experi- 

 ments have already shown that lime, 

 steam at 100 degrees instead of the 

 customary 130, chloroform, carbolic 

 acid, carbon bisulphid. and toluene can 

 all be given in such accurate graduated 

 amounts as to kill the animal life in 

 the soil without affecting the vege- 

 table. The soil then remains fertile 

 i"^^^il dust or earth from tools or shoes 

 infects it once more. 



The problem now is to reduce the 

 laboratorv to a commercial basis. 



METHOD BY WHICH THE CAPTOR CARRIED 

 AX OPOSSUM FAMILY FOR NEARLY 

 UALF A MILE. 



MEADOW-RUE. 

 As foam on crested wave is seen, 

 So meadow-rue on sea of green. 



— Emma Pcirce. 



