194 A. J. Eivarf and Nuinidn TIkhhsoii .- 



indeed, from any cultivated lej^ume at all. Tlie point of special 

 local interest was to determine whether the bacteria from the root 

 nodules of native leguminosae were able to directly infect the 

 leguminosae (lucerne, peas, clover, beans, etc.), not native to Vic- 

 toria, but conniionly cultivated. 



In the many papfrs published upon this subject, there has 

 l>een mention of little work in connection with legumes other 

 than those cultivated, and nore which rould be regarded as afford- 

 ing a complete and final answer to this question. Nobbe and 

 Hiltneri had at different times been able to inoculate the bean plant 

 with bacteria present in the nculules from peas, and Dr. Moore^ 

 had also successfullv cariied out cross inoculation on some culti- 

 vated legumes. 



Its Bearing on Eroiion/ie Agricrih i(re. — Hfiwever, since nothing 

 of a definite nature had been done with tin- native legumes of any 

 country, it seemed worth while carrying out experiments with 

 the bettei- known and more widely spread legumes of this State, 

 and to settle, if jiossible. tlie question whethei- the bacteria from 

 various wild and cultivated plants were all alike as regards theii' 

 power of cross infection, or wlicthci- biological races of the root 

 nodule l)acteria existed, each eapable of infecting either one plant 

 only or a few plants of similar physiological cliaracter. In paiti- 

 cular, the ([uestion whether the same cominou and widely spread 

 bacteria, which live upon and enrich such native plants, as 

 for instance Acfic/n, were capal)le of living in symbiosis with the 

 conunoiier cultivati-d meml»ers of tliis order, hafl an inqiortant 

 bearing on agriculture, particularly in I'egard to the pi-actice to 

 be adopted in opening new ground to cultivation. h'or inst.ince. 

 if all the root nodule l)actei'ia are capal)le of <lirecr cross infection. 

 then virgin country, whose flora comprisi- such plants as Ainr/'o. 

 Stnti /mo/If. Plat ylnl)iuin . etc.. will, on being cleared, and ^iven 

 over to the cultivation of ]»fas. lucerne, rhiver. or anv other sucii 

 crops, possess in the soil their necessary adjuncts, the nodule 

 bacteria, wliich <^n entering into symbiotic union would cause n 

 more luxurious growth than coidd otherwise be possible, .and with- 

 out the use of heavy drefwings of nitidgenous manures. On the 

 otlier luHid. if the bacteria from native legumes were unalile to 

 infect cultivated ones, they must l)e introduced into the soil in some 

 way, preferably bv the means already mentioned. 



1 Not)be. Vcrsuchsst. 1S94. Bd. xl\.. p. 165. 



Noblie and Hiltncr. t>iitl>l. Bnkt. u. Par. i, Abt. « (Utoio, No. 14, pp. 44i)-4.')7, pi. 1. 



2 Dr. O. T. iloorc. hiocnlation of Soil for l.t-KuniiiiOBae. fnitcd Stittes Mnr. I'l. Ind.. 

 17, 19f»r.. _ 



