THE WILD LEG1 Mi> OF MARYLAND AND THEIR UTILIZATION 101 



But it' these bacteria are absent, how arc we to supply them? This 

 is one of the most Important items to be considered in the growing of 



mious crops. This process, known as soil inoculation, may be af- 



1 by applying the material containing the germs directly to the soil 

 i r by bringing the seed in contact with the inoculating material before 

 planting. Soil from a field where a leguminous plant has been recently 

 and successfully :. is a good inoculating material for the 



same plant, in a soil destitute or deficient m the required form of bac- 

 terial life. 



At the Kansas Experiment Station it was found that soja beans 



ild not hear tubercles. They then proceeded to inoculate the Kan- 



- - soil with inoculated soil from the Hatch Experiment Station at 



Amherst. Massachusetts. ( )i course, only a small area was inoculated 



rst, and from this more extensive inoculation took place. Two 

 methods were used: first, the finely-pulverized, Massachusetts soil was 

 placed directly in the hill; secondly, water was added to a certain 

 atity of soil placed in a suitable vessel. The soil was allowed to 

 settle to the bottom, and the water was then drawn off and applied to 

 the plai 



From this experiment is was determined that the best time to in- 

 oculate a soil is at the time oi planting a crop, and that it is better to 

 inoculate with soil directly than to use the extract. But both methods 

 very satisfactory results. This practice was carried on, on a small 

 veral years, and then the soil thus inoculated, was used in 

 a drill, as fertilizer, after being finely powdered, and applied at the 

 of six hundred pounds per acre. This drilling method is an ideal way 

 of inoculating the soil. 



There is a prevailing belief that all leguminous plants increase the 

 fertility of the soil, but there are a few species of this family that do 

 not gathci atmospheric nitrogen; therefore, they do not increase the 

 fertility, except by the addition of humus, and by improving the 

 mechanical condition of the soil, which may be said of most plants. It 



that only those legumes increase the fertility of th< 

 which bear tnbercles on the roots, and those plants which do not pro- 

 duce tubercles are not agricultnral legumes, although they are prop- 

 erly classed as Le^nminosae. Practically all of the wild Maryland 

 xamined have tubercles on the r >< Is, which goes to show that 

 their specific germ, if any. is widely distributed in the soils, making 



ilation in most cases unnecessary, unless with an improved strain 

 of bacteria to increase the yield. 



tfPARATIVE VALUE OF WILD \.\l> ( U\ riVATEP LEGUMINOUS PLAN 



In considering tl linous crop on cultivated land one 



Id naturally turn to such cultivated kinds ;.s are already well known 



and adapted to <>nr farms ample, red clover, crimson clover, al- 



vetch, etc. Soi lid kinds, however, might 



prove as valuable under cultivation, at least when tin- better strains 



n selected and improved. 



