SOIL INOCULATION: HOW DONE 147 



You should not despair, therefore, if appearances are 

 against the crop during the first or second year. Just 

 keep at work and repeat the operation a second or even a 

 third time. The bacteria will come and work. The land 

 will be saved ! 



When trying a legume for the first time, give it a 

 chance. If it fails to meet your expectation, do not de- 

 spair. But refrain from blaming the legume, nor blame 

 the bacteria, either. Just repeat the experiment, and on 

 the same land. Give both time to join hands, to get to' 

 gether and acquainted, to adjust their characters to suit 

 each other's peculiarities ; and, above all, give the bac' 

 teria time to increase and to multiply and to fill the land 

 with their kind. Then the work will be done with ef j 

 fectiveness, just as it will be done to your profit and 

 advantage. 



Many ways of inoculation. There are three ways 

 known of getting bacteria into the soil, if not already 

 present there. These three ways are : 



1. By introducing soil from a field known to contain 

 the desired bacteria to the field where it is desired such 

 bacteria shall be. 



2. By soaking seed in water in which soil from a field 

 where the legume has been successfully grown, has been 

 stored. 



3. By means of pure cultures of the specific organism 

 suited to the legume. 



The first way suggested represents the beginning of 

 soil inoculation. It was effective, as it is still to-day the 

 most effective. There ^are objections to this method, 

 however. It is an inconvenient method of doing the 

 work ; it tends to introduce noxious weeds ; and it spreads 

 plant diseases; hence, the reason for the "pure-culture 

 method." 



