248 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
VOL. 1 
the vital activities of different organisms, and, that these, 
though working unperceived have — as have also the physical 
conditions alluded to — as great an influence in determining 
the quality of plant growth. 
The Director of Agriculture of Victoria, Dr. T. Cherry, 
writing regarding experiments in the growth of plants on 
the soils of the coastal plants of Victoria, reputed their 
failure to develop, even when these soils were abundantly 
(naturally) supplied with moisture, and artificially supplied 
with nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash ; the failing to 
establish themselves, after the food supply contained in the 
seed was exhausted,'' and this he suggests arises from the 
absence of putrefactive and other bacteria which appear to 
be singularly deficient in the soil in its original state. 
(“ Phosphoric Acid in Relation to Australian Soils and 
Vegetation.” Austr. Association for Advancement of 
Science.) 
We now know that not only does the soil support a varied 
growth of micro-fungi which in the course of their life influence 
its state, but bacteria of many kinds having special vital 
relations with it, that effect as they grow profound changes 
in it. Allusion alone may be made to those bacteria that 
influence the amount of nitrogen that it contains, on the form 
in which this important plant-food requirement is present, 
and available for use. In fact, regarded from the point of 
view of their several activities, these bacteria whose presence 
is alluded to, are termed the nitrogen absorbers, the nitrifiers 
and the denitrifiers ; and their importance may be gathered 
of from the fact that recognising their action the agriculturist 
to-day may profit by their presence, which — where necessary 
— he may encourage, or even bring about. In fact, the 
branch of biology that is concerned with these soil organisms 
and their services is already very extensive. Then again to 
the student of plant life has been revealed the fact that the 
agriculturist has to take into consideration that the very 
plants that he cultivates may poison the soil either with 
special secretions from their roots, or the oxidising action 
inseparable from their growth. This knowledge again 
admits of important practical application in agriculture. 
The zoologist on his part points again to the office of earth 
worms in soil improvement as demonstrated by Charles 
Darwin of immortal fame. 
2. New Breeds and Improved Types . — The modern biolog- 
ical doctrine of the origin of species and of types of both 
animals and plants, the discovery concerning variation and 
heredity on which this is based, and the modern branch of 
applied science connected with the latter named Genetics, 
^are of great practical importance, both to the agriculturist 
\nd horticulturist on the one hand, and to the pastoralist 
