58 THE SPIRIT OF THE SOIL 



greener and more weight. Two rows inoculated, 

 65 yards long, gave 4J- pots. Two rows, not inocu- 

 lated, 65 yards long, gave 3 pots." 



' The inoculated Beans were quite three weeks 

 earlier than the others." 



" I put the inoculation liquid on about a quarter 

 of an acre of grass and clover as a top-dressing. In 

 about a week I could see an improvement, and the 

 clover was far higher and thicker than the rest of the 

 field right on until it was cut. There was double the 

 quantity on it, and it was the same with the after- 

 math; it came up the second time far thicker and 

 stronger than the rest of the field." 



" From a quarter of an acre of peas inoculated I 

 picked 33f pots (42 pounds to the pot), selling them 

 for 7 i8s. gd. From a quarter of an acre not inocu- 

 lated, but dressed with i cwt. superphosphate and 

 \ cwt. sulphate of potash, I picked only 14 pots, 

 selling them for 2 5s. 6d." 



From certain points of view the very success of 

 the results obtained proved unfortunate. Little 

 was known about the bacteria at the time, or of the 

 conditions necessary to their growth. Experience in 

 the form of negative results had yet to show that the 

 bacteria were unable to grow in acid soils, and that 

 in such conditions it was necessary to resort to 

 liming to correct the acidity ; that the bacteria would 

 not grow in land already rich in nitrates ; that they 

 were sensitive to adverse conditions of weather and 

 climate; that their efficiency would be impaired 

 either when the plant concerned was too weak, in 

 which case the weaker bacteria could force an 

 entrance into the roots, or too strong, when the roots 

 might succeed altogether in resisting bacterial 



