FIXATION OF NITROGEN 57 



cotton-wool, as had been done in America, would 

 clearly have been to invite failure, and several tests 

 were made to find out the most suitable medium. 

 After many trials it was found that when the bacteria 

 were mixed with earth and the whole was dried, the 

 bacteria lived, and retained their vitality in any 

 case for several months, and in some instances for as 

 much as three years. 



During the years 1906 and 1907 more than a 

 thousand packages of the material were distributed 

 throughout the country, and in over 80 per cent, of 

 cases the reports showed that an increase of crop 

 had resulted from its use. 



That the results obtained justified the enthusiasm 

 aroused can readily be understood from the nature 

 of the reports received. They are given in Appen- 

 dix A just as they were originally published seven 

 years ago, but the following short quotations from 

 them are sufficient to prove that the radicicola 

 cultures showed promise of revolutionizing the 

 everyday practice both of horticulture and agri- 

 culture : 



" The peas were a great success. Inoculation of 

 soil and seed returned a good 30 per cent, more than 

 only seed inoculation, and the seed inoculation 

 showed a good 20 per cent, better crop than the 

 farmyard manured peas. Inoculation in both cases 

 rendered a fortnight earlier marketing possible over 

 the manured." 



" The inoculated clover was taller by 3 inches 

 than the uninoculated." 



' The inoculated Broad Beans were up a week and 

 a half before those not treated, and were very much 



