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Fred, Edwin Broun; Baldwin, Ira Lawrence; McCoy, Elizabeth / Root nodule bacteria and leguminous plants
(1932)
Appendix, pp. 257-269
Page 257
APPENDIX DIRECTIONS FOR THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL CULTURES The manufacturers of artificial cultures usually send out with their products specific directions for inoculation. It will be well to cite here two typical sets of instructions, illustrating the milk and water methods of inoculation. The Rothamsted method for alfalfa, as stated by Russell, 1926, is as follows: 1.-Keep the cultures in the dark until used. 2. In the cultures the bacteria appear as a whitish slime on the inclined surface of the jelly medium. 3. Transfer the contents of the tube into fresh skim milk, using about Y4 pint of milk and 1 gram per quart of calcium phosphate (CaH, (PO4),. 2H20) per tube of culture.' Turn out the contents of the tubes, using a clean stick, and thoroughly mix the bacterial slime with the milk, picking out the lumps of jelly medium. Rinse the tubes out into the milk. 4. The seed should be piled on a clean surface and the milk poured on to it and well mixed with the seed so that every seed is moistened with milk. It usually takes about a quart of milk to every 24 lb. of seed. If there is not enough milk, add a little clean water till all the seed is moistened. 5. The seed should be sown as soon as possible after inoculation. If the seeds are too wet and stick together, mix them with a little dry earth or sand till they are dry enough to drill. 6. The seed should be drilled and not broadcast, as it must not rest on the surface of the ground, because light kills the bacteria. For this reason, also, the inoculated seed must not be exposed to the sun before drilling. A slight modification of this method appeared in the paper by Thornton, 1929a. The principal changes consist in the use of 1 tube of culture to 7 lbs. of seed and of Y4 pint of skim-milk containing 0.1 per cent of calcium di-acid phosphate to 7 lbs. of seeds. Skim-milk instead of whole milk is recommended with the remark that it "greatly shortens the time of drying." The directions for use of cultures as recommended by the University of Wis- consin will serve as an illustration of the water method of inoculation. The cul- tures are supplied in large- and small-sized bottles. The quantity of seed for which one bottle is intended is specified on the label; it varies according to the variety of 'The required amount of calcium phosphate is sent out with the cultures. This should be dissolved in the milk before the bacteria are added. 257
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