1905.] 



Soil Inoculation. 



671 



under no circumstances be used on the plot that has not been 

 so treated ; and to prevent the bacilli being conveyed from one 

 plot to another no one must be allowed to walk across the plots. 

 Care should be taken that the soil does not suffer from want of 

 phosphoric acid or potash. Nitrogenous manuring is generally 

 unnecessary, and in no case should nitrate of soda or sulphate 

 of ammonia be used. 



A supply of this material is being obtained from Germany 

 by the Board, and it will be tested at the various Agricultural 

 Colleges and Experimental Farms. 



Investigations in the same direction as those of Dr. Hiltner 

 have been made for several years past by Dr. George T. Moore, 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture, with similar 

 results. Extensive practical tests were made in 1904, and it 

 is stated in the Report of the United States Secretary of 

 Agriculture that the results show conclusively that where the 

 organisms are used in accordance with the directions, increased 

 yields, ranging from 15 to 35 per cent., are secured. Many 

 farmers have been successful in getting stands of clover and 

 other crops on soils where they had previously failed. The 

 material for inoculating an acre of soil costs the Department of 

 Agriculture about one cent (Jd.). 



Application was made by the Board to the United States 

 Department for a supply of this material, and the Secretary of 

 the Department, the Hon. James Wilson, has been good enough 

 to place at their disposal a supply of cultures, which have been 

 distributed to the Agricultural Colleges in this country in order 

 that they may be tested both in the field and in the laboratory ; 

 and in the latter case both with sterilised and ordinary soil. 

 Owing to the demand by farmers in the United States, the De- 

 partment is unable to supply the material to applicants in 

 foreign countries. A bulletin on the results of many of the field 

 tests which have been made in America is now being prepared 

 by the United States Department and will be summarised in this 

 Journal. The commercial production of this inoculating material 

 is also being undertaken by several firms in the United States. 



The cultures supplied by the United States Department 

 differ from those of the German Institute in that the bacteria 

 are supplied in a dry form. The following statement, which is 



