LIFE IN THE SOIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18563, 22 November 1923, Page 12

LIFE IN THE SOIL.

STIMULATING THE BACTERIA

. T— —■ • - '?> .- ' \ i At Sir E. J. Russell, Director of Both* amsted Experimental Station, recently explained in a lecture, the soil ,of a fans is not merely an inert mass of mineral substances; it is full of living organisms. Besides numerous insects, worms, etc., it contains myriads of low organisms not visible to "the naked eye, but capable of investigation rby > the { aid •■of ; powerful microscopes.^, These organisms are known asi 'bacteria, and are so minute that a gramme of soil; may contain many thousands, increasing and - propagating under favourable conditions with incredible rapidity. .' "' Various kinds of ; bacteria have already, been discovered, v andC each ■ kind has, ;; no ? doubt, ( its l work ''? appointed |by Nature; but regarding them from a purely agricultural | point of view, it has been found, while the action of - some ; kinds iis favourable, : the work of other kinds is the reverse. ).-^' ; ' C>;C'-.,;r.'-The whole subject is not at present clearly --; understood by \ scientists, % and $is being farther K studied by ; them.' This study may open. up new ; channels of crop production of great value,. ::'At present the practical knowledge gained so far goes. to show . that organic . matter ~in • the soil has ■ been ; proved «to favour the rapid growth of C the % useful ;;\; kind of bacteria which convert C organic substance v into nitrates ready C for ; assimilation ;by i the crops; and the ; lesson is that we • most keep ; up ;in ; v the soil, ■> by f application iof farmyard; manure and other organic i fertilisers, or by ploughing* under, green cror, a sufficient supply of ; organic substances.