334 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
May  SI 
RECENT  INVESTIGATIONS  AS  TO 
the  Agricultural  rela¬ 
tions  OF  NITROGEN. 
Prof.  S.  W.  Johnson,  in  a  carefully 
prepared  and  most  instructive  address 
delivered  before  the  Connecticut  Hoard 
of  Agriculture,  and  published  in  its  re¬ 
port  of  1892,  tells  us,  in  a  simple,  impres¬ 
sive  way,  of  the  advantages  which  the 
farmer  may  derive  from  the  proper  use  of 
his  fields  of  leguminous  plants  and  why, 
in  so  far  as  is  known,  they  are  peculiarly 
helpful.  The  entire  address  should  be 
studied.  We  give  such  portions  as  may 
prove  most  instructive  to  our  readers  : 
If  we  pour  common  nitric  acid,  often 
called  aqua  fortis,  on  common  soda 
(sodium  carbonate)  a  violent  efferves¬ 
cence  due  to  the  escape  of  carbonic  acid 
gas  will  occur,  the  mixture  will  become 
hot ;  and  when  the  bubbling  ceases,  if 
certain  proportions  of  the  acid  and  alkali 
are  used,  the  soda  will  have  disappeared, 
and  the  nitric  acid  also  will  be  gone.  In 
their  place  we  have  nitrate  of  sodium,  or 
soda  saltpeter,  the  same  substance  which 
comes  into  our  fertilizer  trade  from  Chili, 
and  is  so  useful  applied  to  cx*ops. 
Varro,  who  wrote  on  Roman  agricul¬ 
ture  2,000  years  ago,  spoke  of  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  plowing  xinder  lupines  to  improve 
poor  lands  ;  and  Columella,  a  little  later, 
recommends  Lucern — the  Alfalfa  of  Cali¬ 
fornia — because,  for  other  reasons,  it 
“  acts  as  a  manure  to  the  land,”  and 
“  enriches  the  land  that  produces  it.” 
I  will  say,  however,  that  among  the 
very  first  to  establish,  beyond  question, 
the  fact  that  leguminous  plants  may 
gather  nitrogen  from  some  source,  al¬ 
though  they  grow  in  soil,  water,  and  air 
that  are  practically  free  from  nitrogen 
compounds,  was  our  Professor  Atwater, 
who  made  several  series  of  pot-cultures 
with  peas  during  the  years  1881,  1882, 
1885  and  1888,  a  concise  account  of  which 
occupies  40  pages  of  the  Second  Annual 
Report  of  the  Storr’s  School  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station. 
Dr.  Hellriegel,  of  one  of  the  German 
Experiment  Stations,  was,  however,  the 
first  to  connect  the  special  power  of  the 
leguminous  plants  to  acquire  nitrogen 
from  some  undetermined  source  with  a 
peculiar  development  of  their  roots. 
Hellriegel  observed  that  when  legumes 
grew  in  simple  sand,  mixed  with  the  ash 
ingredients  of  the  plant  and  watered  with 
pure  water,  some  of  the  plants  grew  but 
little  and  contained  no  nitrogen  beyond 
what  their  seeds  had  supplied,  while 
others  developed  as  vigorously  as  if  they 
had  been  manured  with  nitrates. 
Hellriegel  further  noticed  that  the 
dwarf  plants  had  smooth  cylindrical 
roots,  while  the  roots  of  the  large  plants 
were  studded  over  with  a  multitude  of 
little  swellings  or  nodules,  the  same 
which  are  commonly  abundant  on  the 
roots  of  these  plants  as  they  grow  in  the 
garden  or  field,  where  they  may  be  seen 
from  the  size  of  pin-hcads  up  to  nearly 
that  of  a  liazlenut. 
Beyerinck  was  the  first  to  show  that 
from  the  nodules  of  numerous  legumes 
(bean,  pea,  clover,  vetch,  lupine,  etc.,) 
genuine  bacteria  can  be  developed  in 
artificial  nutritive  mediums,  which  differ 
slightly  as  derived  from  different  legumes, 
but  which,  on  the  whole,  closely  re¬ 
semble  each  other.  This  discovery,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  fact  that  the  nodules  do 
not  appear  in  a  soil  sterilized  as  regards 
microscopic  germs,  Beyerinck  considered 
fully  to  demonstrate  that  the  nodules  are 
a  direct  result  of  the  invasion  of  the 
roots  by  bacteria. 
A  very  elaborate  investigation  of  these 
root-nodules  has  been  more  lately  pub¬ 
lished  by  Brazmowski,  a  Polish  investi¬ 
gator.  He  also  concludes  that  the  nodules 
are  the  direct  result  of  infection  from 
without  by  specific  organisms.  He  de¬ 
scribes  liow  they  penetrate  the  root  cells 
of  the  legume,  and  there  for  a  time  multi¬ 
ply;  afterwards  some  of  them  unite  in 
colonies,  surround  themselves  with  spe¬ 
cial  membranes  and  form  elongated  cells 
which  have  the  appearance  of  fungous 
filaments,  which  grow  and  branch  and 
maintain  their  reproductive  power.  By 
far  the  larger  number,  however,  fail  to 
provide  themselves  with  this  protection, 
and,  under  the  influence  of  the  plant  into 
which  they  penetrate,  they  undergo  a 
series  of  successive  changes  beginning 
with  a  change  of  form  and  a  weakening 
of  vegetative  power,  and  ending  with  the 
complete  metamorphosis  of  their  sub¬ 
stance  into  a  mass  of  albuminoids. 
The  development  of  these  nodules  is  a 
mutual  affair  between  the  legume  and 
the  bacteria,  both  organisms  being  modi¬ 
fied  in  structure  as  a  consequence.  The 
bacteria  are  not  parasites  in  the  sense  of 
consuming  the  juices  of  their  host  to 
its  detriment ;  but,  while  they  doubtless 
take,  they  also  give,  and  they  give  much 
more  than  they  take,  so  that  the  legume 
thrives  because  of  their  invasion. 
This  mutual  benefit  association  of  two 
vegetable  organisms  has  for  some  years 
been  well  known  to  take  place  between 
various  plants  and  fungi,  and  is  technic¬ 
ally  termed  symbiosis  (i.  e.y  living  to¬ 
gether).  The  oak  family,  which  includes 
the  beech  and  chestnut,  the  dandelion, 
wild  carrot,  and  various  grasses,  regular¬ 
ly  contain  in  their  roots  a  fungus  whose 
growth  keeps  pace  with  their  own,  and 
is  in  no  way  injurious. 
Hellriegel,  in  his  first  published  obser¬ 
vations,  had  found  that,  in  general,  any 
particular  legume  is  most  readily  affected, 
both  as  to  gain  of  nitrogen  and  develop¬ 
ment  of  nodules,  by  infection  from  earth 
in  which  its  own  kind  had  been  growing. 
Nobbe  reached  the  same  conclusion.  The 
latter  found  the  best  pea  crop  was  obtain¬ 
ed  by  use  of  extract  from  earth  where 
peas  had  grown,  and  the  best  growth  of 
locust  from  extract  of  soil  in  which  the 
locust  had  been  standing.  He  also  found 
that  neither  the  extract  of  earth  where 
peas  had  grown  nor  the  pure  bacteria 
obtained  from  pea  nodules  had  the  slight¬ 
est  effect  on  the  locust. 
In  full  accord  with  other  investigators, 
Nobbe  found  that  suitable  infection  with 
earth  extract  of  pure  bacteria,  gave  as 
large  crops  in  poor  soil  as  an  addition  of 
nitrates  or  ammonia  salts. 
The  mode  in  which  these  microbes 
operate  to  produce  this  result  is  totally 
unknown.  To  all  appearance,  they  are 
able  to  do  what  no  other  organisms  yet 
identified  can  accomplish,  viz  :  convert 
the  free  gaseous  nitrogen  of  the  air  into 
compounds  suitable  to  nourish  vegeta¬ 
tion.  We  are  forced  to  this  conclusion  be¬ 
cause  we  do  not  know  of  any  other  solu¬ 
tion  of  the  problem.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
the  fact  that  leguminous  plants  enrich 
the  soil  wherein  they  grow,  as  respects 
niti'ogen,  the  costliest  element  of  ma¬ 
nures,  is  fully  established,  and,  to  a  very 
considerable  degree,  explained. 
A  few  words  further  by  way  of  practi¬ 
cal  application:  Any  green  crop  made 
to  occupy  the  ground,  when,  in  the  usual 
course  of  cropping,  it  would  be  bare,  is 
very  serviceable  to  prevent  the  soluble 
elements  of  manures  from  going  to  waste. 
Nitrates  especially  are  liable  to  rapid 
and  serious  loss  for  two  reasons:  first, 
they  are  constantly  forming  in  the  soil 
by  transformation  of  organic  nitrogen 
and  ammonia  salts,  which  may  be  there 
present ;  and,  second :  the  soil  has  no 
power  to  hold  them  against  the  leaching 
action  of  copious  rains.  When  a  loamy 
or  sandy  soil  is  laid  bare  in  summer  or 
early  autumn  by  removal  of  grain  or 
hoed  crops,  it  should  be  at  once  seeded 
with  some  plant  which  will  quickly  cover 
the  ground  and  fill  it  with  vigorous  roots 
to  gather  up  the  nitrates,  which  other¬ 
wise  will  pass  off  into  drains,  springs,  or 
lower-lying  lands.  Winter  rye  appears  to 
be  excellent  for  this  purpose  in  Connec¬ 
ticut,  as  it  stands  ready  to  make  growth 
whenever  the  ground  is  somewhat  warm, 
and  until  late  spring  its  roots  are  consid¬ 
erably  more  extensive  than  the  over¬ 
ground  crop.  But  rye  and  all  other  cereal 
crops  can  only  gather  in  that  nitrogen 
which  exists  in  the  soil  as  nitrates  or 
substances  that  readily  pass  into  nitrates. 
The  legumes,  on  the  other  hand,  are  able 
to  take  up  what  soluble  nitrogen  the  soil 
may  contain,  and  can  also  gather,  with 
the  help  of  the  bacteria  which  naturally 
accompany  them,  large  additional  quan¬ 
tities  of  nitrogen,  probably  from  the 
boundless  stores  of  free  nitrogen  in  the 
air,  and  convert  them  into  the  costly 
albuminoids  of  fodder  and  food,  or  leave 
them  in  the  ground  to  be  of  avail  to  suc¬ 
ceeding  crops. 
It  will  be  very  useful  to  remember  that 
the  legumes  in  favorable  soils  and  cir¬ 
cumstances  are  able  to  give  as  large  crops 
without  nitrogenous  manures  as  with, 
and  that  they,  the  legumes,  without 
manure,  can  yield  twice  as  much  albu¬ 
minoid  food  as  any  other  crop  the  farmer 
can  raise,  and  at  the  same  time  enrich 
the  land  in  nitrogen  which  any  other 
crop  would  exhaust.  This  fact  has  been 
understood  by  the  wheat  growers  of  these 
United  States  all  the  way  from  New  York 
to  Dakota.  Over  all  that  stretch  of 
territory,  the  wheat  lands  in  many 
localities  have  been  worked  to  the  point 
of  no  profit  with  wheat  alone,  and  after¬ 
wards  have  been  made  productive  and 
profitable  again,  using  clover  culture 
to  give  the  start.  But  clover  is  not 
adapted  for  all  soils,  and  after  long  cul¬ 
ture  often  refuses  to  grow,  either  be¬ 
cause  the  subsoil  is  impoverished  of  its 
potash,  lime  and  phosphoric  acid,  or  be¬ 
cause  of  animal  fungous  enemies.  It  may 
often  happen  that  the  different  kinds  of 
clover  will  succeed  each  other — Red, 
Alsike  and  White.  Then  there  are  other 
leguminous  plants  that  are  as  useful  as 
the  clover.  Some  varieties  of  the  cow 
pea  so  valuable  in  the  Southern  States, 
will  produce  a  heavy  growth  of  excellent 
forage,  although  they  commonly  do  not 
ripen  seed  in  Connecticut.  Again,  there 
are  varieties  of  the  Soy  or  Soja  Bean  that 
will  equal  or  surpass  the  cow  pea  in  feed¬ 
ing  value  per  acre,  that  are  hardy 
enough  to  perfect  seed  in  our  climate. 
We  have  in  the  common  pea  a  plant  that 
admits  of  sowing  early  and  producing  on 
light  land  large  crops  which,  harvested 
green,  make  capital  forage  for  soiling  or 
ensilage. 
The  bean  is  a  crop  whose  choice  varie¬ 
ties  bring  a  good  price,  and,  so  far  as 
nitrogen  is  concerned,  we  must  believe, 
need  not  impoverish  the  land.  As  to  the 
favorable  conditions,  it  would  appear 
from  the  investigations  above  adduced, 
that  we  must  take  care  to  prepare  the 
soil  by  stocking  it  with  the  nodule-pro¬ 
ducing  bacteria.  It  would  seem  probable 
that  the  failure  of  leguminous  crops  on 
impoverished  land  is  often  due  to  the  ab¬ 
sence  of  these  microscopic  allies,  and  it 
is  not  unlikely  that  a  very  slight  top¬ 
dressing  of  soil  from  a  garden  bed  where 
these  plants  have  been  raised  with  roots 
well  garnished  with  nodules,  sprinkled 
over  the  field  where  it  is  desired  to  ex¬ 
tend  their  culture,  may  work  wonders. 
Another  essential  condition  for  the 
prosperity  of  these  crops  is  a  proper  sup¬ 
ply  of  all  the  kinds  of  plant  food  which 
the  soil  alone  can  furnish,  and  which  no 
microbe  can  bring  in  from  without.  If 
lime,  magnesia,  potash  and  phosphoric 
acid  are  not  accessible  to  the  roots,  these 
organs  cannot  perform  their  share  of  the 
work  of  symbiosis,  and  the  bacteria  will 
x-efuse  to  do  theirs. 
While  a  good  crop  of  corn,  oats  or 
meadow  hay  removes  from  the  acre  40  to 
50  pounds  of  potash,  10  to  30  of  lime,  8  to 
14  of  magnesia,  and  12  to  20  of  phosphoric 
acid,  a  corresponding  crop  of  clover  or 
beans  requires  and  carries  off  70  to  80  of 
potash,  30  to  90  of  lime,  10  to  30  of  mag¬ 
nesia  and  25  to  30  of  phosphoric  acid. 
These  materials,  if  not  supplied  by  the 
soil  in  abundant  quantity  and  readily- 
available  shape,  must  be  added  as  amend¬ 
ment  or  manure,  or  failure  will  be  cer¬ 
tain. 
It  is  l'ecorded  by  many  agricultural  ob¬ 
servers,  that  Lucern  (Alfalfa  or  Medick) 
flourishes  best  on  a  calcareous  soil. 
Clovers  in  Connecticut  are  “  natural  ”  to 
“red  rock”  soil,  which  usually  contains 
plenty  of  potash.  The  use  of  lime,  wood 
ashes,  leached  or  unleached,  and  of  po- 
tassic  fei*tilizers,  as  kainit,  sylvanite,  or 
muriate  of  potash,  on  grass  lands  rather 
poor  in  nitrogen,  tends  to  bring  in  clover, 
and,  if  the  growth  of  legumes  is  to  be 
encouraged,  fertilizing  with  lime,  ashes 
or  potash  salts  is  the  established  practi¬ 
cal  method  of  reaching  that  result. 
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