Bacteria producing tubercles on leguminous plants

Abstract

Introduction: Bacteria are very beneficial organisms to the agriculturist especially certain parts of them. Bacteria are small living organisms that live as parasites on organic material, dead or alive. They are composed of a single cell having a nucleus, cytoplasm, and a cell wall. The organisms are so minute in size that they cannot be seen without the aid of a very powerful microscope. Their size varies considerably with the different species. The principal legumes to be spoken of in this work are alfalfa, peas, beans, clover and lupines. The legumes in general are such plants that have a seed vessel of two valves, which are fixed to one suture only. In some localities where attempts have been made to grow such legumes as alfalfa, peas, beans, etc., the results have shown very little success, the plants having made but very slow growth and their color being pale and sickly. Many a farmer has given up saying that these crops would not grow in his locality, not knowing the reason why. This fact has led to experimentation upon the growth of these plants, both with and without tubercles. In a bulletin on "Alfalfa in New York" J. L. Stone gives a discussion on this subject. In speaking of the successful growth of alfalfa in New York on sandy soils which are frequently poor in mineral plant food, he speaks of inoculating the soil with alfalfa bacteria. This inoculating consists in securing the bacteria (which will be discussed later) of the tubercles in some form and distributing them over the field.