REPORT OF AGRONOMIST 



M. J. FUNCHESS 



Auburn, Ala., Jan. 10, 1919. 

 Director J. F. Duggar, 



Auburn, Ala. 

 Sir: 



I beg to submit the following brief report of the work done 

 during the past year. 



A study of the lasting effect of certain organic toxins was 

 continued, with results very similar to those obtained in 

 previous years. There is no indication of lasting toxicity 

 of organic toxins applied to soils. Immediately after their 

 application, a marked toxicity may be caused by certain com- 

 pounds. In time, this toxicity disappears and normal plant 

 growth is sustained. 



Work on the development of soluble manganese in acid soils 

 was continued, using ten soils of widely differing characteris- 

 tics. The application of dried blood produced more soluble 

 manganese in each of the acid soils; and small amounts of 

 aluminum were also found in a few of these. Recent work 

 seems to indicate, however, that actual acidity rather than 

 soluble manganese may be responsible for a part of the toxi- 

 city found in soils fertilized with dried blood. 



Manganese nitrate added to the soils used in this study 

 proved to be toxic when used at the rate of 100 parts of 

 manganese per million parts of soil, and at all higher rates. 

 Plants were killed in most soils wdien the rate was 300 parts 

 per million. In limestone soils well supplied with calcium 

 carbonate, manganese used at the above rates caused little or 

 no injury. 



By means of experiments now under way, it is hoped that 

 the relative importance of acidity and of salts in solution as 

 the cause of toxicity, may be established. 



Respectfully submitted, 



M. J. FUNCHESS, 



Agronomist. 



