THK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



The actual cost of these experiments did not figure in the report. 



Professor G. T. Nightingale of the University of Wisconsin 

 has given some interesting results in his paper "Light in Relation 

 to the Grow^th and Chemical Composition of Some Horticultural 

 Plants." 1922. Professor Nightingale comhines short and long 

 day test with the application of fertilizers. The following sum- 

 mary will give an idea of the results achieved in the Wisconsin 

 University experiments : 



ACTION ON CHEMICALS 



"i. Nitrates may be stored by the plant until the proper con- 

 ditions arise for synthesis to other forms of nitrogen. 



"2. The presence of nitrates as such in the plant does not ap- 

 pear to affect materially the type of growth of the plant. 



"3. Conditions resulting in a decrease of insoluble nitrogen 

 and a still greater proportional decrease in carbohydrates resulted 

 in a relatively high proportion of insoluble nitrogen to carbohy- 

 drates, producing a strongly vegetative and unfruitful plant. 



"4. Conditions favoring the formation of an abundance of 

 insoluble nitrogen and simultaneously an abundance of carbohy- 

 drates resulted in a vigorously vegetative and fruitful plant. 



"5. Conditions resulting in a decrease of available soluble nitro- 

 gen without simultaneously decreasing the carbohydrates supply 

 resulted in a very high proportion of carbohydrates to insoluble 

 nitrogen and produced a weakly vegetative and unfruitful plant. 



"6. It is inferred conditions resulting in a more or less com- 

 plete limitation of carbohydrates and a simultaneous decrease in 

 insoluble nitrogen, even though soluble nitrogen may be increased, 

 probably would result in a weakly vegetative and non-fruitful 

 plant. This condition was not found among those prevailing in 

 the experiments discussed. 



"/. It is possible that certain forms of soluble nitrogen may 

 be as intimately associated with growth responses as are certain 

 insoluble forms of nitrogen; no specific substances have been de- 

 termined in this work. 



"8. In the case of Tomatoes, light within the limits of a 6-hour 

 day did not appear markedly to limit the synthesis of nitrates to 



36 



