Xov. 1S97.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUUGH 85 



two-thirds were supplied with nitrogenous manure, one- 

 half with sulphate of ammonia, and the other with flesh 

 meal, and these in varying quantities. Half of these were 

 sterilised by exposure for some time to steam at the boiling- 

 point of water. Moreover, a duplicate of the whole series 

 was made, to which was added nitragin, a supply of which 

 I got from the manufactory in Germany, of the kind specially 

 prepared for application to the bean crop, in the manner 

 described in Mr. MacDougall's paper, read before the Society 

 last session. This was dissolved in water in the manner 

 recommended by the vendors, and applied to the crop after 

 the leaves appeared above the soil. 



The sterilised pots were protected with wadding for some 

 time, but its use was discontinued when the seed began to 

 germinate. They were watered with sterilised water. Five 

 beans were planted in each pot, and all were sterilised by 

 dipping in a solution of corrosive sublimate of 1 to 4000 

 before planting, both in the sterilised and unsterilised 

 section. The pots were accommodated in a cold frame 

 when the experiment began in July, and kept there till 

 October, when it ended. 



The experiment was only a preluuinary one, carried on 

 chiefly to enable one to gain some experience, so that a 

 quantitative record of the result was not made. 



It was found that the plants that throve best were those 

 that had no nitrogenous manure given them. There was 

 a large number of blanks, and in very few pots did all the 

 five beans come up. The division that got no nitrogenous 

 manure was a fairly even one. The plants that did grow 

 were healthy, and most of them were in full flower when 

 the experiment ended. There did not seem to be much 

 difference between the sterilised and unsterilised sets, nor 

 was there any perceptible difference between the pots that 

 were inoculated with nitragin and those that were not. A 

 fairly representative collection was made of the plants in 

 each set. They were carefully turned out of the pots and 

 put into water, so that the earth might fall away from the 

 roots without injury of any kind. I preserved a number of 

 the roots in formation, and removed the stalks. A number 

 of them are shown on the table before you. Four are from 

 sterilised pots, and four from unsterilised ones. Upon the 



