174 PHARMACEUTICAL BACTERIOLOGY 



A second and later improvement in the method of inoculating seeds with 

 root tubercle bacteria (Rhizobia) is given by Hartleb in the specifications 

 forming part of letters patent No. 674,765, granted May 21, 1901, at Wash- 

 ington, D. C. Although not so stated in the specifications, it is evident 

 that the Hartleb process is a method for applying pure rhizobia cultures to 

 seed of leguminous plants. Whether the method offers any advantages 

 over the method of Nobbe and Hiltner is questionable. In any case it 

 would prove practically advantageous only under the conditions referred 

 to under the discussion of nitragin. Although the method has been freely 

 discussed and experimented upon in Germany, the fertilizer is no longer 



FIG. 54. R. mutabile as it appears in mature nodules of red and white clover 

 root nodules. This may be considered the extreme form variation due to hyper- 

 nutrition. 



on the market. There is on the market a third patented germ or microbe 

 soil fertilizer of German origin, known as "alinit." It consists essentially 

 of a pure culture of the soil bacillus known as Bacillus ellenbachiensis 

 alpha or Bacillus ellenbachiensis Caron. The germ was first brought to 

 the attention of the agriculturists by Caron, a land owner of Germany, 

 who first isolated it and called attention to the fact that it had the power 

 of chemically binding the free nitrogen of the air. The microbe is said 

 to be closely allied to B. megatherium and B. subtilis. According to some 

 authorities it is especially concerned in assimilating free nitrogen for 

 gramineous plants. If it is true it may prove of great value to grain 

 growers. 



The commercial alinit is a dry pulverulent substance of a yellowish- 

 gray color, with about 10 per cent, moisture and 2.5 per cent, nitrogen. It 

 is evidently prepared by mixing spore-bearing pure cultures of the bacillus 



