Nitrogen Bacteria and Legumes: With special reference to red clover, cowpeas, soy beans, alfalfa, and sweet clover, on Illinois soils — John Shaqi
Nitrogen Bacteria and Legumes: With special reference to red clover, cowpeas, soy beans, alfalfa, and sweet clover, on Illinois soilsHopkins, Cyril G. (Cyril George)
Science
Nitrogen Bacteria and Legumes: With special reference to red clover, cowpeas, soy beans, alfalfa, and sweet clover, on Illinois soils
From these investigations we thus have conclusive evidence that infected
sweet clover soil can be used for the inoculation of alfalfa fields,
the bacteria of the two plants acting the same. The infected soil may
be obtained from any place where the sweet clover is found growing with
abundance of tubercles on its roots. The soil may be collected to a depth
of three or four inches and scattered over the alfalfa field at the rate
of 100 pounds or more to the acre. It is well to scatter the infected
soil at about the time the alfalfa is seeded, and harrow it in with the
alfalfa seed, although it may be applied some days or even some weeks
before seeding time, and probably it would be all right to apply the
infected soil the fall before, for it is known that the bacteria will
live in soil for several months, even though the soil be placed in sacks
and allowed to become quite dry.
Investigations have shown that 100 pounds of thoroughly infected soil
to the acre is sufficient to produce a very satisfactory inoculation
within one year from the time it is applied. Of course, somewhat heavier
applications may well be made if it can be done at small expense. The
infected soil need not be applied with any high degree of uniformity, but
special care should be taken that the higher places and watersheds are
not missed in scattering it over the field. If a few square yards, or
even square rods, should be missed on the slopes or lower land, it would
make but little difference, as the bacteria will be washed over such
places from the higher land.
After the soil becomes somewhat dry it is easily scattered by hand from
the wagon or from a sack which one can carry. Sometimes it is applied by
means of an end gate seeder or a fertilizer drill, or it could be spread
by a manure spreader with an application of manure.
The question naturally arises whether there is not danger of getting
some sweet clover seed with the infected sweet clover soil, and thus of
getting sweet clover mixed with the alfalfa in the field.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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