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Show BACTERIA IN THE SOIL Farmer Owes Immense Debt to Little Germs. Water-Logged Land Bscomee Worth-lea' Worth-lea' for Many Purposes Because of Inability of Organisma to Develop De-velop Owing to Moisture. (By im. E. O. riCTKICHi '. J.nl...r!Ury of Bnt'terloliiiry, I'tnli Agricultural t'lil- The average farmer t-cldom renllzos to the fullest extent the Immense debt he owei to the bacteria of the soil. It is very often a surprise to him to hear that the continued fertility of the sol) Is due almost wholly to these minute organisms which he never eeg, but which are present In astounding astound-ing numbers In every handful of soli on his farm. A soil exceptionally fertile fer-tile Is exceptionally rich In these organism!. or-ganism!. A dead, worn out soil U one In which the organisms do not occur, or if they do occur, refuse to grow. Successful farm practice consists con-sists quite largely In supplying conditions' condi-tions' In the soli which are favorable for the growth of beneficial organisms and detrimental to the growth of harmful organisma. Cultivation of the soil Is a method to supply air to the organisms which demand air. The application of a certain cer-tain amount of moisture to the soil is a benefit In one way because of the fact that the bacteria of the soil demand de-mand a certain amount of moisture for their best grow-th. A soil which becomes be-comes water-logged becomes worthless worth-less for many purposes because of the inability of the organisms to develop due to the overabundance of moisture moist-ure and other .secondary Influences. The presence of too much alkali In a soil or of an acid soil Is likewise harmful harm-ful to the development of the organ-'sms. organ-'sms. In other words, the bacteria of' the soil are an Index to Its fertility, and every farmer, whether he knows It or not, Is a bacteriologist, In thai he Is continually trying to cultivate these unseen friends of his by ordinary farm methods. Itecent advances lu soil bacteriology bacteriol-ogy Indicate that we are on the eve of a new era regarding our knowledge of soli processes. Chemists have deur onstrated that certain western soils are Immensely fertllo due to the presence pres-ence In thcra of exceptionally Inrge quantities of nitrogen compounds. Whether this nitrogen enrichment Is largely the result of the action of bacteria bac-teria Is a question now before the bacteriologists for solution. It Is known that in Utah soils especially and similar western soils there Is a germ called Azotobaeter which thrives with remarkable vigor. This germ has the icmarkable power of drawing, directly, di-rectly, plant food from tho air and storing It In the soil without the aid of any other plant. The mysteries of Azotobacter are remarkable. It sometimes some-times can be found in large numbers In tho soil, and sometimes seems about to disappear. Kxactly what this variation Is due to Is not known, but undoubtedly much of the mystery !ur-roundlng !ur-roundlng soil fertility cat be solved by finding out how these wonderful gornis act. It Is a part of every farmer's Information In-formation that such crops as alfalfa, beans, peas, clover and vetc h add remarkably re-markably to the fertility of the soil The observant agriculturist knows also that on the roots of thene plants are small nodules or swellings which It has been found are the breeding places of bacteria which feed the plant, upon which they live, directly di-rectly from the air. If these bacteria are absent from the soil the plant In soin eases refuses fo devplop to Its full vigor. This action of the bacteria bac-teria places In the fnrmer's hands a weapon for always keeping hi! soli at a high point of fertility by the proer rotation of crops In order to utilize these powerful germs fo his advantage. ad-vantage. Ilacterlologjsts are attempting to discover the exact number of germs which are Important In soil fertility maintenance, and further more what ones are detrimental to the soli. They hope to be able, ultimately, to diagnose diag-nose the soil exactly as we now diagnose diag-nose the human body, by finding what germs are growin In It. They have already al-ready devised methods of enriching the soli by growing In the laboratories laborator-ies bottle! full of brnefbial organisms, organ-isms, and pouring theae on the seed before It la sown. Any visitor to the bacteria laboratory of the agricultural college can see these germa growing In small flaaks, each flask containing from three million! to four billions bacteria. Fortunately moat Inter mountain soils contain these germs In abundance, abund-ance, si It may never be necessary to use thvni from the laboratory on the soil. However, we may be able to develop de-velop germs In the laboratory of an exceptionally high power of soil enrichment en-richment Kven the most conservative conserva-tive scientist realizes that the future ef scientific agriculture Is very cloaely associated with the future of soil bacteriology. bac-teriology. Alona; with probable method! of soil tlagDoala may come methods of protection pro-tection of the soil by artificial Inoculation Inocu-lation with bacteria and methods of toll cure from diseases by bacterial Inoculation. Tbeae etatements read like romance, but the development of bacteriology aa a science within the last two or three decades nas thrown opes a Held so Immense that the boldest bold-est Imaxinatloo la staggered. |