414 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVIII. No. 977 



stain but positive to the anilin dyes. This second 

 kind of granules appear to arise from the afore- 

 mentioned nuclear body, and the first mentioned 

 kind appear to be a product of the cell activities, 

 possibly a reserve food supply. In active cultures 

 from five to ten days old, many of the cells dis- 

 integrate, their enclosed granules being scattered. 

 The granules of the second type appear to give 

 rise to new organisms, acting m this particular as 

 gonidia, while those of the first type slowly dis- 

 appear as though they were dissolved. At this 

 stage, Al and A2 produce large capsules, but A3 

 and AA do not. Fission frequently takes place 

 within these capsules, thus producing an irregular 

 group of from two to sis or more organisms within 

 a capsule. When cultures are about three weeks 

 old, the majority of the organisms appear as 

 spheres, Al and A2 in irregular clusters, A3 and 

 A4: in fairly regular packet and sarcinse forms. 

 This condition occurs only when the cultures are 

 near their full development and appears to be a 

 resting stage. Chains of from four to thirty cells 

 are common in old liquid cultures as Ashby's solu- 

 tion. Involution forms of a great variety in size 

 and shape appear in old cultures, but the most 

 striking changes in morphology occur in cultures 

 incubated at 37° C, especially in case of Al, in 

 which many of the cells elongate into tubes 40 or 

 50 /i long. Colonies and streak cultures on Ashby 's 

 agar are first hyaline, then white and when they 

 are fully developed a brown pigment is produced, 

 which in case of A2, A3 and Ai in time frequently 

 becomes black. Mass cultures of Al are very 

 moist and have a tendency to flow; those of A2, 

 while being moist, do not flow, but become eon- 

 toured in topography; those of A3 are pasty; 

 those of A4: somewhat coriaceous and verrueose. 

 Ashby's media give the best growth, beef extract 

 media allowing but a restricted development. 

 Good growth on LoeflSer's blood serum. 



The Origin of Certain Organic Soil Constituents: 



M. X. Sullivan. 



Examination was made of the dried mold, Peni- 

 cillium glaucum, grown on Eaulin's solution and 

 of the filtered solution after mold growth for 

 organic constituents. In the alcoholic soda extract 

 of the mold were found oleic and palmitic acids 

 and a fatty acid melting at 54° C, hypoxanthine, 

 guanine, and adenine, histidine, thymine, choline, 

 probably lysine and a small amount of hydroxy- 

 fatty acids. In the direct alcohol extract was 

 found mannite, cholesterol bodies, hypoxanthine 

 and cerebroside. In the culture solution were 



found fatty acids, guanine, adenine and hypoxan- 

 thine, a small quantity of histidine, pentose sugar, 

 unidentified aldehydes and a small amount of 

 hydroxy-fatty acids. Most of these compounds 

 have been found in soil and the conclusion is made 

 that in the formation of the various organic soil 

 eonstitutents, microorganisms, such as yeasts, bac- 

 teria and molds, play an important part. 

 Soil Inoculation under Soil Conditions of Lime 



Deficiency: T. D. Beckwith. 



The Cascades divide the state of Oregon roughly 

 into two sections differing greatly as to rainfall 

 and consequent seepage of soluble soil constituents. 

 Much of the land in the Willamette Valley and 

 western section of the state has a lime deficiency 

 of from one to five tons per acre-foot. With the 

 idea of learning whether or not artificial inocula- 

 tion of legume seed with pure cultures of B. radici- 

 cola might be expected to yield results, reports of 

 success or failure of soil inoculation cultures fur- 

 nished by the department of bacteriology have 

 been sent to Oregon Agricultural College, accom- 

 panied by root specimens. During the past sum- 

 mer 110 tests have been carried out, at least 60 

 of which have been with alfalfa. A compilation 

 of the results obtained shows that the method was 

 beneficial in 69 per cent, of the experiments. On 

 the contrary, of 50 tests carried out in the eastern 

 part of the state in soils well furnished with lime, 

 success was obtained in 45 instances, or 90 per 

 cent. It is thus evident that B. radicicola may 

 retain virulence to the roots of legume plants, 

 under conditions of a small amount of soil acidity. 

 Eesults were unfavorable when lime deficiency was 

 over five tons per acre-foot. 

 Bacterial Activity in Soil as a Function on the 



Various Physical Soil Properties: Otto Bahn, 



University of Illinois. 



To study the influences of physical SOU proper- 

 ties upon bacterial activity in soil, pure cultures 

 of B. mycoides in quartz-sand peptone water mix- 

 tures were studied. In one series, cellulose was 

 added to the sand. The amount of ammonia 

 formed under these conditions was taken as the 

 indicator of bacterial activity. Further, Bact. 

 lactis acidi was grown in milk sand mixtures, 

 acidity and number of cells serving as measure of 

 development. The conclusions are greatly influ- 

 enced by the basis of comparison. If the data are 

 computed per 100 g. of dry soil, as is customary 

 among soil bacteriologists, it would seem that the 

 bacteria thrive best in a fairly moist sand (20- 

 25 per cent.). If, however, the actual culture 



