DEPARTMENT OF BOTANICAL RESEARCH. 



75 



imbibitioiial capacity of agar jelly, increase its resistance to water-loss. 

 Definite conclusions await further experimentation. 



The Changing Corn-position of Salton Sea Water, by A. E. Vinson and 



S. W. Griffin. 



The analyses of the water of the Salton Sea undertaken primarily 

 for the purpose of interpreting its action on vegetation were made 

 annually from 1907 to 1916. Additional analyses were made in 1916 

 and 1919, with results as given below: 



Composition of Salton Sea water, parts per 100,000. 



Total solids (at 110° C.) 



Water of occlusion and hydration . 



Sodium 



Potassium 



Calcium 



Magnesium 



Aluminum 



Iron 



Chlorine 



Sulphuric, SO4 



Carbonic, CO3 (in total solids) . . . 



Carbonic, CO2 (total) 



Bicarbonic, HCO2 (volumetric) . . . 



Silicic, Si04 



Phosphoric, PO4 



Boric acid 



Oxygen consumed . 



Nitric 



Nitrous 



June 3, 

 1907. 



364 . SO 



111.05 



2.30 



9.95 



6.43 



.030 



.005 



169.75 



47.60 



6.58 



1.41 

 .009 



.093 

 .18 

 None 



June 10, 

 1916. 



1647.2 

 47.5 

 528.9 

 5.71 

 29.85 

 27.17 

 .034 

 .060 

 787 . 64 

 207.89 



June 17, 

 1919. 



2614.4 



100.4 



833.6 



9.98 



43 . 5 



43.5 



None 



None 



1247.0 



337.0 



If calcium had concentrated from the beginning at the same rate as 

 total solids there would be now 71.34 parts per 100,000 of calcium in- 

 stead of 43.5 parts. Thus the equivalent of 27.84 parts per 100,000 of 

 calcium has been lost. In this manner the 0.009 part of phosphate 

 ion present in 1907 would now amount to 0.064 part, whereas all has 

 apparently disappeared from solution. There should also be at pres- 

 ent 16.49 parts per 100,000 of potassium instead of 9.98 parts, a loss 

 of 6.51 parts. 



The analyses show among other interesting facts that calcium car- 

 bonate, potassium, and phosphorus have failed to concentrate at the 

 same rate as the total dissolved salts. After due consideration of the 

 facts that other water from the Colorado, overflow and seepage from 

 the uTigated districts of Imperial Valley, and highly mineralized water 

 from springs have been adding new salts to the original body and that 

 the analytical error in determining small amounts of potassium and 

 phosphorus in the presence of large amounts of other compounds is 



