No. 1, August, 1920] PHYSIOLOGY 135 



TOXIC AGENTS 



960. Kidd, Franklin. Laboratory experiments on the sprouting of potatoes in various 

 gas mixtures. (Nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.) New Phytol. 18: 248-252. 1919. — The 

 following conclusions are reached: "1. Oxygen is harmful to the potato tuber in concentra- 

 tions above 5-10 per cent. Oxygen 80 per cent kills in 4 to 5 weeks. Oxygen 5-10 per cent is 

 the optimal concentration for sprouting. 2. The harmful action of oxygen is increased in 

 the presence of carbon dioxide. 3. Carbon dioxide inhibits sprouting in a concentration of 

 20 per cent. This concentration is at the same time to some extent harmful. 4. Higher 

 concentrations of carbon dioxide cause marked injury and death." — I. F. Lewis. 



961. Kryz, Ferdinand. Ueber den Einfluss von Ultramarin auf Pflanzen. [On the 

 effect of ultramarine on plants.] Zeitschr. Pflanzenkrankh. 29: 161-166. 1919. — Referring to 

 his earlier experiments with soils containing graphite, the author recapitulates his results 

 as follows. Seeds planted in soil containing a considerable amount of graphite are retarded 

 in germination. Plant growth was retarded and arrested, while transpiration in sunflowers 

 grown in graphite was increased. Since graphite is a chemically indifferent substance, the 

 author raises the question as to whether the action of other indifferent substances would be 

 similar in effect. He chooses ultramarine, describing it as a substance nearly indifferent 

 chemically; stable in air, light, and alkalies; insoluble in water; and only slowly decomposed 

 by acids and acid salts. — His observations are: germination of seeds does not occur very 

 readily in soil containing ultramarine ; growth is retarded ; but there is no disturbance of trans- 

 piration; and neither a "poisonous" nor fatal effect is exerted by this substance. Intense 

 spraying of leaves with ultramarine in water suspensions causes wilting and drying. — //. T. 

 Gussow. 



962. Richter. [Rev. of: Fallada, O. Zur Riibensamenbeizung mit Schwefelsaure. 

 (Germination of beet seed after corrosion with sulphuric acid.) Osterreich.-Ungar. Zeitschr. 

 Zuckerindust. und Landw. 46: 22-34. 1917.] Biedermann's Zentralbl. Agrikulturchem. 47: 

 324-325. 1918. — A table is given showing the results of treatment of 100 beet seeds with sul- 

 phuric acid. Unsoaked seeds were treated as follows: with concentrated sulphuric acid; 

 with sulphuric acid of 53°Be\ and for comparison some which were not treated with acid. 

 Soaked (6 hours) seed were also treated as those above. The poorest germination was shown 

 by the unsoaked seed treated with concentrated acid, and the best germination was shown 

 by seed soaked for 6 hours and then treated with acid of 53°B6. The seed and acid were heated 

 for 20 to 25 minutes with steam and then the acid was allowed to act for two and one half 

 hours. The number of seed germinated after 2, 3, 4, 6, and 14 days was recorded. — F. M. 

 Schertz. 



963. Richter. [Rev. of: Greisenegger, Ignaz K. Versuch mit Samenriiben unter 

 Verwendung von Mangansulfat als katalytischen Diinger. (Experiments on seed beets using 

 manganese sulfate as a catalytical manure.] Osterreich.-Ungar. Zeitschr. Zuckerindust. und 

 Landw. 46: 13-21. 1917.] Biedermann's Zentralbl. Agrikulturchem. 47: 320-323. 1918. — 

 Pot experiments in sand and peat were conducted using Knop's nutrient solution for watering. 

 Fifteen pots were used, placed in 3 groups. Group 1 had no manganese, group 2 had a small 

 quantity of manganese (0.1773 grams or 25 kilograms per hectare), and group 3 had 4 times as 

 much manganese as group 2. The yield of seed per pot was as follows : group 1 , 56.3 grams ; 2, 

 57.2 grams; 3, 69.8 grams. The stem yield was greatest in group 1 and least in group 2. In 

 regard to the capacity for germination, 100 seed balls of group 1 produced 149 seedlings; 100 

 of group 2 produced 139 seedlings, and group 3 produced 131 seedlings. The seed of the above 

 3 groups were then planted in plots and fertilized (manganese lacking). The seed from the 

 above group 1 produced 10S.7 grams of sugar per beet; from group 2 the yield was 112.2 grams 

 per beet; and from group 3, 94 grams. The yield per plot respectively was 4.54, 4.55 and 4.03 

 kgm. The average weight of each beet was respectively 578, 599, and 512 grams. Other 

 data were worked out for the respective groups. — F. M. Schertz. 



