54 Report OF DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY OF THE 
CONCLUSIONS. 
In considering the practical bearing of these results the fact 
must be constantly borne in mind that while the land upon 
which these experiments was conducted has been selected by the 
farmers, they have been urged to select land which was well 
drained and of a fair degree of fertility and to exercise great 
care in freeing the land from weeds before sowing the alfalfa. 
They were also urged to send samples of their seed: to the Sta- 
tion for examination for dodder, trefoil and injurious weeds. 
In view of the uniform character of the results of our experi- 
ments there can be no doubt but that, when the above conditions 
are observed, the natural lack of inoculation and of lime in 
the fields of this State is responsible for the larger part of the 
difficulty which has been experienced in the establishment of 
alfalfa. | 
Of: these two the lack of lime is the more common, since prac- 
tically all fields respond to its application. However, the lack 
of inoculation is more often the controlling factor and the ap- 
plication of soil changed about twice as many fields from a 
failure to a success as did the application of lime. 
It should be kept in mind that when sufficient inoculation is 
already present in a field the addition of more is without any 
apparent effect upon the crop. When sufficient inoculation is 
not present the application of 150 to 500 Ibs. of soil from an 
alfalfa field in which the plants are well provided with nodules 
will supply the necessary bacteria. . 
The application of inoculation or of lime will insure a crop 
of alfalfa only in so far as those are the only things which are 
lacking in that particular field. Good results can not be ex- 
pected unless the land is well drained, of a reasonable degree 
of fertility and is so prepared for the crop-as to destroy the 
maximum number of weed seeds and properly fit the land for 
the seed. When, in addition to these things, the seed is good 
and free from dodder and objectionable weed seeds, the farmer 
is ready to test the need of inoculation and of lime on the 
