670 



Soil Inoculation. 



[FEB., 



of stick either into water, or, better still, into quite fresh milk, 

 care being taken to see that the glass is thoroughly rinsed out 

 with water. The material must be disintegrated in the liquid 

 (about half a pint) with the hands or with a stick, the " agar " 

 (gelatine) being thoroughly crushed with the fingers. 



Each tube is accompanied by a nutrient substance in the form 

 of powder consisting ^of a mixture of pepton and grape sugar, 

 which must be dissolved in the water or milk about half an 

 hour'before the bacilli are introduced. 



After the bacilli have been well distributed in the nutrient 

 solution the liquid should be poured over the seeds, which 

 should be placed in a vessel of suitable size. In the case of 

 larger quantities the seeds can be heaped up on a well-cleansed 

 floor. They should then be thoroughly mixed with the hands 

 or with a shovel, so that each single seed is moistened with the 

 liquid. Should the seeds stick together after being so treated, 

 a little sand or dry earth should be added. The sowing 

 must, whenever possible, take place immediately after the 

 inoculation. When sown broadcast the seed should at once 

 be harrowed in, otherwise the bacilli may be dried up or killed 

 by action of sunlight. For this reason it is strongly recom- 

 mended that the sowing, when practicable, should be done on 

 a cloudy day, and, in any case, towards evening. Rainy weather 

 is specially favourable for good results. 



To increase the chances of success a direct inoculation of the 

 soil, as well as the inoculation of the seed, can be undertaken. 

 The material should be prepared in the same way, and mixed 

 either with earth from the field it is proposed to treat, or with 

 compost, and this should be scattered over the ground and 

 at once harrowed in before the seed is sown. About 5 cwt. 

 of earth should be used to an acre. One tube is enough to 

 inoculate I to 2 cwt. of earth. 



In order to test the efficiency of the inoculation it is neces- 

 sary to leave a corresponding plot of land untreated for 

 comparison. This should be separated from the inoculated 

 soil by 3 strip of at least a yard broad. To prevent any of the 

 bacilli being carried over to the untreated surface, these plots 

 should be sown and harrowed fir^t of all. Implements, drills, 

 &c, that have been employed on the inoculated surface must 



