BuBEAu OP Ageicultuee. 139 



INOCULATION OF LEGUMES 



It is a well established fact that many of the 

 leguminous plants that can be grown successfully in 

 Kentucky when inoculated with their individual bacteria, 

 will not grow and gather nitrogen when not given an 

 artificial inoculation. More failures in growing alfalfa 

 are due to a lack of inoculation probably than from any 

 other cause, unless it be from a failure to properly lime 

 the soil. The necessary bacteria for the inoculation of red 

 clover, white clover, alsike clover and soy beans seem to 

 be generally spread over the lands in this State. Some ex- 

 periments have shown that soy beans and cow peas will 

 grow and make a fair yield of forage while they gather 

 but little nitrogen to leave in the soil when inoculation 

 is not practiced. 



Realizing the virtue of inoculation, the State De- 

 partment of Agrici*ltural furnished inoculating material 

 for experimental purposes, in order to get a few well 

 inoculated fields in each community. The inoculation 

 purchased by this Department and distributed free was 

 for alfalfa and crimson clover, and the reports received 

 at this office indicate the success of the undertaking. In 

 fact, the results obtained have been so satisfactory, that 

 it seems probable it would pay the Commonwealth 

 to properly provide for the manufacture or growth of 

 these cultures for free distribution. When it is realized 

 a well inoculated acre of any one of several of these 

 leguminous plants will produce from $15 to $25 worth of 

 nitrogen in one season, while an acre without inocula- 

 tion may make practically the same forage, but will leave 

 but a few dollars worth of nitrogen in the soil, it is likely 

 that some steps will be taken to provide the cultures so 

 essential for nitrogen-gathering from the air. 



The work of the experiment stations of the country 

 has demonstrated the great value of bacteria of the 

 leguminous plants in this work. It is simply a question 

 for the Department of Agriculture to determine whether 

 it is a judicious investment for the State to furnish suf- 

 ficient cultures to give every farmer a start that will en- 

 able him to inoculate other fields with the soil of what 



