666 



Journal of Agricultural Research 



Vol. XX, No. 8 



At this time a longitudinal section was cut in the soil, and the root 

 extension of both crops was studied. With the sugar beets it was found 

 that a thick, matted growth of fine rootlets extended from the second 



row of beets to the 



/ extreme end of the 



container,. 41 inches 

 in all. Many of these 

 rootlets were branch- 

 es from the main 

 fleshy feeders. These 

 extended laterally 

 throughout the bare 

 end of the tank. 

 The main barley 

 roots were found to 

 extend 32 inches 

 from their plant 

 sources with the finer 

 rootlets extending 1 

 foot further toward 

 the bare end of the container. A portion of the roots also extended to 

 the bottom of the container and ran almost to the end wall. 



The soil solution during the early stages of growth of both barley and 

 beets appeared to 



Fig. 4.— Decrease of water-soluble nitrates from varying numbers of 

 barley plants. (Graphs=K NO3.) Crops were planted May 13, and 

 soil was sampled on dates given. 



< JO ° 



^ .00s 



Cj .090 



Jo .oss 

 Jy .oso 



(£ .075 

 Q) .070 

 <5 .065 



k •«•« 

 £ .OSS 



5 .050 

 > .0+0 



Q) .035 

 5 .030 

 N .025 

 N.O20 

 HJ.O/5 

 HJ .0/0 

 fh .005 



have a significantly 

 lower concentration 

 in the near neighbor- 

 hood of the plants 

 than at a distance 

 therefrom. It was 

 not until the early 

 part of April when 

 the plants had 

 reached a consider- 

 able size that the soil 

 solutions in the 

 cropped and un- 

 cropped ends of the 

 containers ap- 

 proached each other 

 in concentration. 

 Unfortunately for 

 the original objective of the experiment, the roots of the plants, in both 

 cases, appear to have penetrated the soil mass of the bare ends of the 

 containers about as rapidly as the concentration of the soil fell off. 



BA&LEY BETPVEE// ROWS. 



BB/H.EY/ITEA/0 OF TBMH. 



BEETS BETtVEEH BO*VS. 



BEETS /7TEA/0 OF TB/V/f. 



8U 8w 

 U 11 



Fig. 5. — Decrease in the concentration of soil solution shown by freez- 

 ing-point depression. Crops were planted December 3, and soil was 

 sampled on dates given. 



