216 Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



show an abundance of nodules. To this volume of soil two or three 

 times its volume of water is added. The mixture is then stirred vigor- 

 ously several times a day for two days and the soil is then allowed to 

 settle. The alfalfa seed to be inoculated is then dipped into the water, 

 which is now more or less filled with the nodule-forming bacteria. The 

 seed is then dried in the shade, sufficiently to enable it to run through 

 the drill easily, and it is then planted. If preferred, the inoculated soil 

 may be puddled, the seed mixed with it, and the whole mixed with dry 

 soil and planted. 



The only objection to the use of the soil method of inoculation is the 

 risk of bringing in weed seeds. 



The pure-culture method of inoculation consists in the use of a liquid 

 culture of the root-tubercle germs. This may be obtained free, in small 

 quantities for experiment, from the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture. Several commercial concerns are now also putting these cultures 

 on the market. "Farmogerm," sold by the Earp-Thomas Farmogerm Co., 

 of Bloomfield, N. J., and "Nitrogin," sold by the German-American 

 Nitrogin Co., of Milwaukee, Wis., are commercial cultures that have 

 proved successful under experiment. Full directions for the use oi 

 these nitro-cultures are sent out by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture and by the commercial concerns referred to. 



In conclusion it may be said that every alfalfa field, in order to be 

 profitable and successful, must have the root-tubercle organisms in the 

 roots of the plants. If there is any reason to doubt their presence in 

 the soil before planting, then the soil should be inoculated. Generally 

 speaking, most of our Kansas bottom lands are already infected with 

 the root-tubercle bacteria. A simple way of finding out is to grow a 

 crop of sweet clover on the land first. If the sweet-clover roots are well 

 infected with the tubercles the land is ready for alfalfa without in- 

 oculation. If not, or if only scattered plants are provided with root 

 nodules, or if the nodules are few and scattering on the roots, then addi- 

 tional inoculation is required. (See "Inoculation," in index.) 



PRACTICAL DRAINAGE OF WET LANDS. 



By H. W. ALBRECHT, Farmer, Monmouth, Crawford county. 



In 1910 I bought eighty acres of low, wet land. It never dried out 

 early enough in the spring for any spring crop, and it was too wet for 

 alfalfa. When it was wet it was a bog, and when dry enough to get onto 

 safely with a team it broke up in big chunks. Before I got it thirty acres 

 of the worst of it was absolutely unfarmable and was growing up in 

 ash grubs and red-haw brush; some of it was a sour-grass pasture, and 

 about forty acres of the driest was farmed. Knowing all this, I bought 

 the place, with the idea of draining it, for I recognized in it a valuaple 

 piece of land when drained as I now have it drained. 



I blew out the grubs and stumps the first season. I used about 800 

 pounds of 40 per cent antifreezing dynamite, so you see there were some 

 stumps and grubs there. I could not see that this shooting did any good 



