150 
EIGHTH REPORT. 
SERIES IY. 
No, germs 
introduced. 
No. germs 
per c. c. 
in 24 hrs. 
No. germs 
per c. c. 
in 48 hrs. 
No. germs 
per c. c. 
in 72 hrs. 
No. germs 
per c. c. 
in 96 hrs. 
9 
52,000,000 
109,000,000 
15,000,000 
10,000,000 
39 
19,600 
152,000,000 
600,000,000 
1,100,000,000 
9 
27,000,000 
9,000,000 
5,000,000 
6,000,000 
+ 
39 
0 
0 
0 
0 
An examination of the above four series will show that where the 
alfalfa germ was grown in pure culture, there was always an increase 
in the number of germs throughout the experimentation period; that 
where the alfalfa germ and B. ramosus were associated in the same flask, 
in no single instance did any of the alfalfa organisms show growth at any 
time during the experiment while the B. ramosus did grow and multiply 
although not in as great numbers as when in pure culture. 
So far as this experiment goes there seems to be a marked antagonism 
towards the alfalfa and whether it is to be considered as mere inhibition 
or death remains to be demonstrated later. In conclusion it may be 
well to state that although there is a very decided loss and apparent 
destruction of the alfalfa germ at the hands of B. ramosus when grown 
in a culture medium in a flask, we are not safe in drawing any con¬ 
clusions whatever as to the relation of these organisms to one another 
in the soil for in all probability, as some of our experiments now in pro¬ 
gress seem to indicate, these toxic products, whatever they may be, are 
in some way neutralized, transformed or absorbed by the soil, the con¬ 
ditions of the field being so different from those of the flask. 
Agricultural College, Mich. 
