59 



:il)ly tlii-ongh the air. The slightest (Mirrciits of air iinist carry 

 them. The dust fiMiii a frcslily tiinicd clover sod iimst coii- 

 laiu countless millions of them. In certain quarters it has 

 l»een urged that failures to produce good clover are frequently 

 due to the absence of suitable bacteria, or 1o their presence in 

 insufficient numbej-s. C-ertain experiments with sterilized 

 soils in Amherst indicate to the writer that clover bacteria are 

 everywhere; and it is not his belief that failures to produce 

 satisfactory crops of clover in this State can often, if indeed 

 they can ever, be attributed to the cause under consideration. 

 The writer has never seen a case where, if a soil be brought 

 into proper condition as to drainage and freedom from acid- 

 ity, and well stocked with phosphates and potash, clovers have 

 failed to grow ; and he has never observed clover plants in any 

 locality and failed to find abundance of nodules on their 

 roots. It is, however, of course a possibility that there may 

 be localities where it Avill pay to inoculate the soil designed 

 for clover with suitable bacteria. This inoculation may be 

 carried out in either of two ways. First, soil from a locality 

 where clover thrives and where the nodules are known to be 

 abundant may be scattered over the field where the clover is 

 to be sown, and immediately harrowed in. Five or six 

 hundred pounds of such soil per acre will be sufficient. 

 Second, a culture of the proper species of bacteria may be 

 usied in accordance with directions which will be furnished 

 with it. Such cultures may now be procured either from the 

 ITnited States Department of Agriculture in Washington, or 

 from private dealers. These cultures are known by the name 

 of nitro-cultures ; but, as each species of the clover family 

 must have its own species of bacteria, it is necessary in order- 

 ing to name the plant for which the nitro-culture is needed, 

 as well as the area. 



The United States Department of Agriculture first sent 

 out cultures in dry form, in small jDackages containing dried 

 cotton and chemicals, to be dissolved in the water in wdiich 

 the cultures were to be started. In very many cases the use 

 of these cultures resulted in absolute failure. The desicca- 

 tion to which the bacteria had been subjected appeared to 

 have destroyed their vitality. So far as the writer knows, 



