RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS. 33 



cent; vetch, 1.1 ]ier cent: maize, 1.4 per cent, and white hipine, 1.2 

 per cent." 



"Guthrie, F. B., and Holmes, R. (Roy. Soe. New South Wales, Oct. 8, 19(t2), 



conducted some experiments on wheats in two kinds of soils. To one of the 



soils was added a fertilizer consisting of a mixture of 15 grams of sulphate 



of amiuonia, G grams of superphosphate, 4 grams of sulphate of i>otash, and 



varying quantities of other substances. The composition of the first soil was 



as follows : 



Per ceut. 



Moisture 3. 83 



Organie matter 13. 75 



Nitrogen • -08 



Soluble in hydrochloric acid : 



Lime • 1<j5 



Potash -. .005 



Phosi)horic acid • 1"7 



Magnesia 072 



The soil was found to contain (».(tl(l iier cent of sodium chlorid in addition 

 to the substances ('numerated aliovc. 



The composition of the second soil was as follows: 



Per cent. 



Moisture - 2.91 



Organic matter 8. 33 



Nitrogen • 070 



Solui)le in hydrochloric acid : 



Lime .440 



Potash -077 



Phosphoric acid = • HO 



No fertilizer was added and the soil was originally free from chlorids. It 

 was found that in the first soil the seeds gernunated and grew well when enough 

 sodium chlorid was added to the soil to give it a content of O.OGG per cent of 

 that salt. Further, that in the second soil, to which no fertilizer was added, in 

 tlie presence of 0.05 per cent of sodium chlorid. germination was slightly 

 retarded, but the plants finally recovered and grew well. As to the re.sults, 

 these anthoi's say : 



From 0.01 to 0.02 per cent of sodium chlorid is without effect on the wheat 

 ])lant. tlie grain gei-niinating well and the plant growing vigorously. With 0.05 

 to 0.10 iier cent of sodium chlorid the gernnnation is somewhat retarded, the 

 ]ilants are less vigorous, but recover and grow well. With 0.15 the germination 

 is still more affected and the ])lants would probably not recover under less fa- 

 vorable conditions than those of the experiment. Two-tenths per cent of sodium 

 chlorid in the soil is fatal to the growth of wheat. 



An experiment performed by Messrs. E. CMiarabot and A. Hebert (Compt. 

 Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 134: 181, 1902), which shows the chemical influence of 

 sodium chlorid upon more mature plants, is a very interesting one. These inves- 

 tigators found that l)y adding sodium chlorid some chemical properties are 

 decreased. 



The writer finds that a 2 per cent solution of sodium chlorid saturated with 

 calcium sulphate is sufficient to kill moss growing on the soil in two weeks' 

 time. .W the end of one week no change is noticeable, excei)t that growth is 

 retarded. One week longer, however, suffices to kill the moss completely and 

 turn it a brownish color. The solution was added to the pots on which the moss 

 grew in the laboratory every other day for about that length of time. 



