NITRO-CULTURE I99 



liquid medium. He also devised a plan by which they 

 could be mailed to any part of the world and arrive in 

 perfect condition. 



Most experiment station men have given to Dr. Moore 

 great credit for his discoveries and have tried, with rather 

 marked success, his method of nitro-culture ; on the 

 other hand a few have been opposed to the method from 

 the beginning and are still opposed. It would seem that 

 the tests made prove that nitro-culture does introduce 

 bacteria when directions are followed. 



Of course if a farmer's soil has the alfalfa bacteria, it 

 is not necessary to use any system of inoculation. If 

 Sweet clover or Bur clover is growing in the vicinity, or 

 if alfalfa is thriftily growing near without the aid of 

 inoculation, it is hardly necessary to make there further 

 efforts for the introduction of bacteria. 



SUGGESTIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL- 

 TURE 



In a preceding chapter the opinion was expressed that 

 in most states, and in most localities in those states, inocu- 

 lation was unnecessary because bacteria were already pres- 

 ent; yet it is true that these bacteria are present, if at all, 

 in varying quantity. If comparatively few are present, any 

 method of inoculation that will introduce more into the 

 soil, to hasten the growth of the tubercles and promote 

 the gathering of nitrogen, will be helpful. The fact is, 

 we know as yet comparatively little of all there is to be 

 learned about this wonderful principle. It is altogether 

 probable that the use of nitro-culture is as practicable and 

 as free from objections as the use of inoculated soil, espe- 



