128 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



materials used as fertilizers and for otlier agricultural purposes are included in 

 this report. 



Report of the fertilizer section, H. D. Haskins (Massachusetts Sta. Rpt. 

 1912, pt. 1, pp. 103-1 J S). — A brief account is given of the State fertilizer inspec- 

 tion and the character and quality of fertilizing materials used in the State 

 are discussed. 



AGKICTJLTUIIAL BOTANY. 



The action of certain nutrient and nonnutrient bases on plant growth, M.. 

 M. McCooL (XeiD York Cornell Sta. Mem. 2, pp. 115-216, figs. 15). — This memoir 

 consists of three papers as follows: (1) The antitoxic action of certain nutrient 

 and nonnutrient bases with respect to plants, (2) the toxicity of manganese 

 and the antidotal relations between this and various other cations with respect 

 to green plants, and (3) toxicity of various cations. 



Extensive studies on the toxic and .antidotal action of various ions were 

 made, and the chief conclusions which were derived from the experiments are 

 that barium, strontium, ammonium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium were 

 poisonous to seedlings in the order given. Mutual antagonism resulted when 

 the following cations were present in solution: Magnesium and strontium, po- 

 tassium and strontium, sodium and strontium, sodium and potassium, sodium 

 and ammonium, potassium and barium, and magnesium and barium. Calcium 

 was found the most effective of any of the substances studied in preventing 

 toxic action. This protective action was found to be not confined to the so- 

 called essential nutrients, as some of the nonessential ions possessed this prop- 

 erty. The favorable results obtained from the application of lime to many 

 types of soils is believed to be due in part to the antidotal relations. 



In considering the toxicity of manganese the author studied its effect in 

 various cultures, using pea and wheat seedlings. It was found that pure solu- 

 tions of manganese salts are extremely poisonous to pea and wheat seedlings, 

 and that the degree of toxicity is greatly reduced by full nutrient solutions and 

 hy soil cultures. The injurious action of the manganese ion is manifested 

 mainly toward the tops of plants, chlorosis of the leaves being the first indica- 

 tion of an overdose of manganese. Manganese was found less injurious to 

 plants grown in the dark than to those in the light, and the ions of calcium, 

 potassium, sodium, and magnesium were effective in counteracting the poisonous 

 action of manganese. 



In the report upon the toxicity of various cations the author reviews the lit- 

 erature and summarizes his investigations, showing that barium, strontium, 

 ammonium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, in the order given, when pres- 

 ent in pure solution are very toxic to seedlings. This toxicity is greatly re- 

 duced by either full nutrient solutions or soil cultures. Under the conditions of 

 the experiments much stronger solutions were required in order to prevent top 

 growth than to kill the roots of seedlings. Seedlings which had been grown for 

 10 days either in distilled water, tap water, or full nutrient solutions were 

 found more resistant to the toxicants studied than those which were placed 

 immediately in the toxic solutions. 



Bibliographies of literature are appended to the different papers. 



Application of fertilizers to plants through their leaves, P. Larue {Rev. 

 Tit., 40 (1913), No. 1028, pp. 26i-264).— Experiments suggested by the reports 

 of Hiltner on his work in applying fertilizing solutions to aerial portions of 

 plants (E. S. R., 27, pp. 324, 651) were carried out by the author with various 

 plants. 



