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Show New Strains of Alfalfa Culture Being Developed Three strains of alfalfa nodule bacteria, bac-teria, capable of fixing more nitrogen and producing a somewhat greener color in the leaves of the alfalfa plant, have been added to the stock from which the Wisconsin college of agriculture agricul-ture is preparing its alfalfa seed cultures. cul-tures. These strains, recorded in the laboratory lab-oratory as pedigree numbers 107-1, 109, and 113, were carefully tested in greenhouse trials last winter when they proved to fix more nitrogen and to stimulate the production of higher yields of hay than most other strains tested. Inoculation tests in these greenhouses green-houses show that while most root nodule no-dule cultures found in the soil of fields which have grown legumes are helpful to the plant, some are less beneficial or even actually harmful. Before any strain of inoculating bacteria is used for the preparation of culture in the laboratories of the university agricultural agricul-tural college. It must first have proved to be beneficial as shown by greenhouse green-house and field tests. |