THE GOOD OF BACTERIA 



Carbon would be held within the bodies of the dead, 

 and the earth would become a vast field of corpses." * 



Some Bacteria are efficient in enabling the roots of 

 certain plants and trees to obtain nitrogen from Am- 

 monia Salts and from the air. It is now thought 

 that they are more important factors in providing 

 food to plants than was dreamt of heretofore. 



The gases evolved from the decay of bodies, animal 

 especially, contain ammoniacal sulphides, phosphides, 

 butyrates, volatile fatty acids, and other evil-smelling 



* Anton Kerner von Marilaun was born at Mautern, Lower 

 Austria, November 12,1831; died at Vienna, June 20, 1898. He 

 studied in Vienna, and practiced medicine there for two years; in 

 1855 he was appointed to a professorship, and in 1858 was made the 

 Professor of Botany in the Technical High School of Ofen. From 

 this time he devoted himself exclusively to the study of Botany. 

 He held the Chair of Professor of Botany at the Poly technical Schools 

 of Buda; of Natural History 'at the University of Innsbruch, and of 

 Botany at the University of Vienna, and was a member of the 

 Academie des Sciences. In 1877 he was ennobled; created " Hitter 

 von Marilaun," and made Director of the Museum and the Botanical 

 Garden in Vienna. He gave much attention to the Alpine Flora, 

 and instituted experimental gardens, at high elevations, in the 

 Tyrol. 



He published many works ; among them the " Flora der Bauern- 

 garten in Deutschland," " Die Niederostreichischen Weiden,""Die 

 Alpenwirtschaft in Tyrol," " Die Abhangigkeit der Pflanzengestalt 

 vou Klima und Boden," Die Schutzmittel des Pollens gegen vor- 

 zeitiger Befruchtung," " Die Schutzmittel der Bliiten gegen unberu- 

 fene Gaste." His largest work is "Das Pflanzenleben." 1891. 

 2 vols. It is admirable for its profuse illustrations in the text and very 

 many beautifully executed chromo-types, but most admirable for the 

 clear, though elaborate, description, of every stage in the physiology 

 of plant life and modes of reproduction. A second edition of the 

 work appeared in 1898. 



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