64 University of California Publications in Agricultural Sciences [Vol.3 



PAGE 



Series IX. Antagonism between Potassium Chloride and Sodium Chloride 90 



(a) Plants 90 



(6) Animals 90 



(c) Bacteria 92 



Series X. Antagonism between Potassium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride 92 



(a) Plants 94 



(b) Animals 94 



(c) Bacteria - 94 



Series XL Antagonism between Calcium Chloride and Sodium Chloride .... 94 



(a) Plants 95 



(b) Animals 96 



(c) Bacteria 96 



Relative antagonisms of various combinations 97 



Summary 99 



Part A. Toxic effects of single salts 99 



Part B. Antagonistic effects of combinations of salts 99 



Literature cited 101 



Part A. Toxic effects of single salts 101 



Part B. Antagonistic effects of combinations of salts 101 



Introduction 



Most of the published studies of wine yeast deal with its activities 

 as related to wine making. Its botanical characteristics and still less 

 its fundamental physiological reactions have apparently received little 

 attention. Among the most important and interesting investigations 

 of higher plants, bacteria and animals in recent years have been studies 

 of the effects of various single salts and various combinations of salts 

 on the physiology of these organisms. For example, it has been found 

 by Osterhout 0, 7 that practically all of the simple salts, such as 

 sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, etc., have a 

 decided toxic action upon the plant when it is subjected to the action 

 of a single pure salt. Further, if certain combinations of two or more 

 salts were used in certain ratios the toxicity was reduced. This 

 reduction of toxicity is commonly termed antagonism between the 

 salts used. It was found also that a combination of all the salts in 

 the ratios in which they occur in the soil solutions or in other solutions 

 to which the plant is accustomed afford the best conditions for growth. 

 Such a combination is spoken of as a physiologically balanced solution. 



Loeb working with marine animals and C. B. Lipman with soil 

 and other bacteria obtained results similar to those obtained by Oster- 

 hout with the higher plants. As was to be expected, the reaction of 

 animals to the salts was not identical with that of bacteria, nor does 

 either reaction follow the behavior of the higher plants closely. In 



