170 THE BUSINESS OF FABMING 



in devising schemes to aid nature in her work of 

 service has furnished the device by which we too 

 can give service to this legume insect life and give 

 another aid to the business of farming. Soils 

 often reach a stage where they are unfavorable for 

 this bacterial life. Soil environments are such 

 that these bacteria can not live and flourish in 

 them and so these conditions must be corrected by 

 the use of the correcting agencies of limestone, 

 manures, etc., about which we have also writ- 

 ten. 



But when we have corrected those soil condi- 

 tions the bacteria are not there, they must be se- 

 cured and moved into their new homes we have 

 prepared for them. We do this either by the 

 transfer of soil largely inhabited by them or by 

 what is known as artificial cultures prepared in 

 laboratories, that is, these bacteria are bred in 

 laboratories and are transferred to seeds which 

 are planted in soils made favorable for these bac- 

 teria. These prepared cultures are put up in 

 forms with directions for their application to 

 seeds, which are easily followed and if they are 

 active, and are applied strictly according to direc- 

 tions, and in favorable soil, can be secured for 

 the legumes as successfully as by any other proc- 

 ess, as the author knows from actual experience 

 in the field. There have been failures in this 

 method just as there have been and always will 

 be in all lines of farming. 



We too often allow the failure we make in the 

 business of farming to overwhelm us. We fail 

 in a crop this year then do not grow it the next 

 when conditions are favorable for its greater sue- 



