FIXATION OF NITROGEN 59 



invasion. These were some of the causes that led to 

 disappointing negative results. There were occasions, 

 too, when failure resulted, because the directions for 

 preparing the bacterial culture on the farm were 

 not accurately followed. Sometimes soils were 

 treated that were deficient in phosphates and potash, 

 and naturally the bacteria were powerless to make 

 up for the absence of these minerals. 



For these and similar reasons there were several 

 failures with the cultures. The feeling of disap- 

 pointment among growers was great, and naturally 

 the men who had gone to all the labour and trouble 

 of inoculating their seed and soil only to find no 

 trace of advantage came dogmatically to the con- 

 clusion that nitro-bacterin, as the culture was called, 

 was no good. Such failures were widely advertised, 

 and as some of them occurred at experimental 

 stations, growers were discouraged from making 

 further attempts. 



At this stage of the work, however, the successes 

 obtained were for the time being of more importance 

 than the failures, for the successes proved definitely 

 that in England, if the conditions were such as to 

 favour inoculation, the following important benefits 

 resulted : 



1. An increased yield of the leguminous crop. 



2. The improvement of the land for succeeding 

 crops through the addition of organic nitrogen to the 

 soil. 



3. Increase of the nitrogenous content of inocu- 

 lated crops, carrying with it an increase in feeding 

 value. 



