28 BEAN CULTURE 



In the bulletin, Kellerman enumerates the in- 

 stances when inoculation will be a failure. These 

 are : First, if the instructions are not studied in- 

 telligently and followed carefully; second, if the 

 soil is acid and in need of lime. Liming to correct 

 acidity is as important for the proper activity of the 

 bacteria as for the growth of the plants; third, if 

 the soil needs fertilizers, such as potash, phosphoric 

 acid, or lime. The activity of the bacteria in secur- 

 ing nitrogen from the air and rendering it available 

 to the legumes will not take the place of such fer- 

 tilizing elements as potash and phosphoric acid. It 

 must be remembered that inoculation will not over- 

 come results due to bad seed, improper preparation 

 and cultivation of ground and decidedly adverse con- 

 ditions of weather or climate. Before attempting 

 to inoculate a new crop, the farmer should first in- 

 form himself thoroughly concerning the proper 

 handling of the crop itself, otherwise failure is 

 almost certain. Free publications on this subject 

 may be secured by addressing the directors of 

 various state experiment stations and the United 

 States Department of Agriculture at Washington, 

 D. C. Bulletin 270 of the Geneva (N. Y.) experi- 

 ment station contains interesting deductions on the 

 use of commercial cultures for legumes. 



