222 Bacteria in Relation to Country Life 



since the soils experimented with were reclaimed heath 

 or swamp soils that had not borne leguminous vegeta- 

 tion. The soils in question had been burned over and 

 limed on their reclamation and had also received dress- 

 ings of mineral fertihzers. 



The inoculations were performed with soils derived 

 from various sources, some of them noted for their 

 power to yield abundant harvests of legumes. The 

 inoculating material was broadcasted at the rate of 

 about 350 pounds per acre in October, 1887, and the 

 inoculated and uninoculated plots were seeded with 

 various legumes in the following spring. As the season 

 progressed, the plants on the inoculated plots were 

 marked by their dark green color and vigorous growth, 

 whereas the uninoculated plants remained yellow and 

 small. * 



There was noticed, furthermore, a very considerable 

 difference in the action of the different soils used for 

 inoculation. Thus, in one instance, the inoculation with 

 a fruitful soil from Germany gave an increase over the 

 uninoculated of 67 per cent of grain and 87.7 per cent 

 of straw, while the inoculation under the same con- 

 ditions with a productive soil from Holland gave an 

 increase of 90.3 per cent of grain and 117.0 per cent of 

 straw. The first attempts at inoculation were, therefore, 

 a distinct success in so far as the reclaimed peat soils 

 were concerned. It became possible, thus, to grow suc- 

 cessful crops of legumes on these humus soils and to 

 secure large yields of forage. 



The next step in the development of soil-inoculation 

 was the appHcation of old legume-soil not only on re- 



