CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE WISLEY LABORATORY. 



253 



have been grown upon the site of the experiment, and that probably peas 

 have never before been grown there ; and that leguminous crops have 

 not as a rule produced an average crop ; all of which might lead to an 

 expectation of a favourable result following the inoculation. That such 

 a result did not follow is probably due to the fact that the soil is already well 

 inoculated with the nodule-producing germs, and that the germs normally 

 present are at least as "virulent" as those in the " Nitro-Bacterine," 

 and in view of the fact that out of the 48 rows in which inoculated 

 seeds were sown 31 gave a crop smaller than was produced by the 

 corresponding uninoculated rows it would seem highly probable that the 

 normally nodule-forming bacteria of the soil possessed a higher virulence 

 than those in the " Nitro-Bacterine." 



Conclusion. — It is not claimed for this experiment that it shows what 

 is to be expected under all conditions, or that under no conditions is 

 inoculation of leguminous plants likely to be followed by increased yield, 

 but the result obtained at Wisley leads to the conclusion that inoculation 

 with "Nitro-Bacterine " of leguminous plants grown in garden soil, even 

 when the garden soil is as poor as that of Wisley, is very unlikely to be 

 followed by an increase in the crop. 



Several Fellows of the Society who have tried the effect of inoculation 

 with " Nitro-Bacterine " in their own gardens have kindly sent me their 

 results, and all point to this conclusion. 



I take the opportunity of cordially acknowledging the intelligent 

 and painstaking assistance rendered by Mr. Win. Brown and Mr. H. L. 

 Robson, two of the senior students in the Garden, in carrying out this 

 experiment, and the help of Mr. A. C. Smith, the Assistant- Superintendent 

 of the Garden, in supervising the cultural operations connected with it. 



Summary. 



1. A trial of the effect of inoculation of peas with " Nitro-Bacterine " 

 was conducted at Wisley in 1908. 



2. The soil of the Wisley Garden is one more likely to respond to such 

 inoculation than the majority of garden soils. 



3. The experimental area was divided into twenty-four equal plots, 

 twelve being on well-worked soil, twelve on soil that had been fallowed in 

 1907. 



4. Each pair of plots on the cultivated ground received different soil 

 treatment, and the corresponding pairs on the fallowed land received the 

 same treatment. 



5. One of each pair of plots had seed which had been inoculated 

 sown upon it, the other seed which had not been inoculated. One row 

 of each of four varieties was sown upon each plot, the same varieties 

 being used throughout. 



6. It is shown that the Wisley soil is lacking in none of the chemical 

 elements necessary for the successful growth and development of the 

 nodule-forming bacteria. 



7. Seven out of the twelve plots on which inoculated seed was sown 

 gave smaller crops than the corresponding uninoculated plots, and one 

 gave an equal crop. 



