AGRICULTURE 



there again. As soon as a clover plant throws out roots, the 

 clover germs attach themselves to the root, multiply rapidly, 



and form a tubercle. Strange to 

 say, clover germs will not grow 

 on cowpea roots. Perhaps this 

 is because the clover germ has 



Fie. in. RED CLOVER 



i, inoculated; a, not 



inoculated. 



become accustomed to liv- 

 ing on the special kind of 

 food it finds in clover sap, 

 and perhaps the diet the 

 cowpea or alfalfa offers 

 does not agree with it. If a 

 fertilizer factory is started, 

 it must be by germs accus- 

 tomed to work on that kind 

 of plant or on one very 

 closely akin to it. Clover 

 germs make tubercles on 

 clover, alfalfa germs cause 

 nodules on alfalfa, vetch 

 germs organize fertilizer 

 factories on the roots of 

 vetch, and so on. 



Inoculation of leguminous 

 crops. If a farmer, there- 

 fore, desires to grow clover 



FIG. iia. ROOTS OF SOY 

 INOCULATED 



BEAN. 



