Auximones 



profound changes in its methods. It would at the 

 same time give an impetus to the exploitation of 

 bacterized peat, which could be sold at the price 

 of nitrate, turning deposits of peat, now of little 

 value, into veritable gold-mines. 



How do the auximones act ? Is it in the manner 

 of ferments and nitrifying bacteria such as those 

 in the nodules of leguminous plants, enabling the 

 nitrogen of the air to become fixed and utilised ? 

 Have they a favourable action on the production 

 of hydrates of carbon ? Have they any influence 

 on the assimilability of the fertilising matters ? 

 Under what system of manuring are they most easily 

 assimilated by the plants ? All these questions 

 must be answered before we can benefit by all the 

 advantages owing to the discovery. 



One fact has struck us — that auximones are not 

 an aerial element, the stalks and leaves of the 

 potatoes being relatively small in comparison to 

 the crop. Since " nothing is created, and nothing 

 is destroyed," one is tempted to ask whence comes 

 this extraordinary growth. One thing certain is 

 that the auximones only form an accessory element 

 of alimentation for the plants ; or only help the 

 assimilation of other aliments, but in no wise supply 

 these aliments themselves. These must come from 

 the outside. 



Is the assimilation of nutritive matter by this 

 method of culture in the same proportion as in 

 ordinary crops ? And the crops themselves, are 

 they as proportionately rich in nutritive matter as 

 ordinary crops ? If so, in what form will addi- 

 tional manure have to be provided ? Is the increase 



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