BENEFICENT BACTERIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13857, 21 March 1907, Page 10

BENEFICENT BACTERIA.

INNOCULATINC4 THE SOIL. There is a gentleman at King's College, London, who hopos to produce a revolution. lie is an idealist, and his revolution will bo a ( parilic one. lis object is the regeneration of the agricultural industry. The principle oil which he works might bo described as inncculatinx the soil in order to bring about, changes in its conetitulion which will increase its fertility. In his laboratory the professor has a lew simple-looking objects, but which to tiio seeing e.vo are full of significance. He shows, for instance, two sprigs of clover growing in the same dish. One is bright and vigorous, the other feeble and struggling. On the roots of the strong specimen a.rc found little nodules. These nodules are packed full of microbes; and, under the microscope, Professor ißottomlcy shows the bacteria (exceedingly minute dots and rods, the rods growing from the dots), and for hours and hours he bends over his instrument studying the life history of these benefieicnt microbes. Cultures of these microbes, when applied to land otherwise useless, bring its productive value up to the level of tracts of the greatest natural fertility. The observation of the nodules on (lie roots of leguminous plants like clover date.: from the timo of Pliny, but- their significance was not then known. In 1687 the celebrated llalpighi studied them, hut it was not until the discoveries in bacteriology made by Pasteur and others that their usefulness was demonstrated. In 1890 Nobbe, a Continental bacteriologist, having determined that these nodules were really composed of ''colonics" of bacteria, endeavoured to turn this knowledge to practical

use by cultivating the microbes ami using (hem for imiocuhting lands the fertility of which it was desired to improve. BACTERIA'S BUSINESS IX LIFE. The results at first were not. promising) but the reason of the check was soon perceived. Nobbe had cultivated the bacteria on a material containing nitrogen, whereas it is tho ''business in life of those bacteria." as Professor Bottomley' puts it, to obtain their own nitrogen. If too well fed they become fat and lazy. The American Government was the Jirsfc to see tho vast importanco of such a discovery, and tho Agricultural Department of Washington sent over representatives to study Nobbc's methods. Theso were found to bo practicable, and were soon put, into operation. Thousands of acres have been innoenlated in America with these "nitrogenfixing" microbes, and as a result it is declared that in 80 per cent, of the eases iho soil so treated was found to have its fertility materially increased.

Tho interest, of Professor Bottomley in tho question was at first purely scientific, but ho was 60cn attracted to the important national aspect of the matter. The British Government tool; up the matter in 1904, and in tho Journal of tho Board of Agriculture of 1906 there is a report on various experiments, of which the tenor is that the method was not adapted to English soil.

Hut Professor Bottomley, with tho faith that moves mountains, has brought himself into direct communication with farmers all over Great; Britain and Ireland, and lie has induced some of them to give the matter a trial according to instructions clearly set forth by himself.

Tho reports in all cases arc highly gratifying. Norfolk peas, for example, stimulated by tho innoculation method, arrived at market three weeks earlier than usual, and wore 50 per cent, more prolific. Yorkshire beans, Scottish lucerne, and Irish clover were similarly improved.

But ono of tho most extraordinary features of this fascinating system of fcrtisiling the soil is that poor lands, waste lands, the slag traofcs of tho Black country, tho sandy patches of Essex, are the most favourable for operation. •HOW TOE VAMIEtt WORKS. Tho methods of innoculating the soil offer no difficulties. The farmer receives from Professor Bottomley, three packets, tho first containing a ccrtain quantity of mineral salts, tho second a powder containing culture of tho beneficent bacteria, while the third contains ammonia phosphates. iTlie farmer mixes 'the tontcnts of theso packets in a bucket of clean water, 2A hours being allowed to elapse between putting in the contents of packet No. 1 and packet No. 2;

and another 24- hours before putting in paekot No. 3. • The solutio.ll thus obtained may bo used to moisten ■ the seed to bo sown, Or it' may bo used to moisten somo soil, which is then spread over the land v.iticb it is desired to fertilise. Or growing crops may be treated dircctly by tho ordinary process of spraying, the bacterial solution being used ill place of water. The bacteria being thus brought, into eon-

(act with the soil and tho roots of tho cropa take nitrogen from tho soil and pass it. on to the growing plants, and so enable

thorn lo build tip their structure with the same case when growinp in poor soil as when growinp; in soil already fertile by reason of its richness in nitrogenous consti-

The method applies to leguminous ctoih, but these, of course, prepare the way for cereals. 'Die rotation of harvests is an

immemorial principle. Leguminous crops add 2001b of nitrogen to an acre, whereas nitrate of soda, gives less than a tenth of this.

The cost of innoculatine the soil by Pro.

fessor Botlomiey's method is very small. One shilling's worth of the materials aro sufficient for tho treatment- of one aero of land. Profesor Bottomlcy has, however, supplied the materials free of all cost to tho farmers who have experimented under his instructions. '