366 Mineral Nutrition of Plants 



synthesis. Other data (50) clearly indicated that the magnitude in the 

 difference obtained depends on the severity in deficiency symptoms 

 and the degree of exclusion of apparently normal tissues. That is to say, 

 that both the symptoms and the degree of chemical change are local- 



TABLE II 



Effects o Mineral Deficiency on Free Alpha-Amino Nitrogen and Protein 

 Nitrogen of Plants: Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfur 



Mean 



.60(2) 0.85(7) 0.71(7) 0.91(7) 



ized. Nevertheless, Phillips, Smith, and Dearborn (_#) were unable to 

 find any indication of derangement of nitrogen metabolism with potas- 

 sium-deficient tomato plants. 



Deficiences in magnesium, calcium, and sulfur (Table II) seem to 

 have an identical influence on the relative quantities of amino acid 

 nitrogen in plants. Most investigations agree in reporting an increase in 

 free amino acids in the leaves of plants deficient in either magnesium, 

 calcium, or sulfur. However, no significant change is reported by 



