CONTENTS 



PART I 

 PROPERTIES OF MICROORGANISMS 



CHAPTER PACK 



I THE ROLE OF MICROORGANISMS 3 



Constructive agencies. Destructive agencies. 

 Decomposition 



II THE DEVELOPMENT OP BACTERIOLOGY .... 7 

 Discovery of bacteria. Spontaneous genera- 

 tion. Pasteur. Aniline dyes. Koch and the 

 gelatine plate 



III THE MORPHOLOGY OF MICROORGANISMS .... 12 



Morphology of bacteria. Morphology of 

 yeasts. Morphology of molds. Protozoa 



IV CULTIVATION AND STUDY OF BACTERIA, YEASTS, 



AND MOLDS 33 



Culture media. Liquefiable-solid media. Ster- 

 ilization. Isolation of pure cultures. Quan- 

 titative methods. Microscopic examination. 

 Systematic study of bacteria 



V PHYSIOLOGY OF MICROORGANISMS 48 



Moisture. Temperature. Oxygen. Reac- 

 tion. Light. Chemicals. Food. Metabiosis. 

 By-products. Classes of organic matter. 

 Distribution of microorganisms 



PART II 

 SOIL BACTERIOLOGY 



VI THE RELATION OF MICROORGANISMS TO SOIL FER- 

 TILITY 69 



I nuvailable and available plant food. Soil 

 vii 



