50 Experiment Station Bulletin 367 



The Influence of Soil Texture, Soil Moisture, and 

 Soil Aeration on the Growth of Plants 



Soil Cultures. Potatoes were grown in two types of soil, Buxton 

 clay and Newmarket fine sandy loam. Some were grown as a control in 

 untreated soil except for fertilizer, and others in soil treated with varying 

 amounts of lignin and lignin impregnated with sulphur. Tomatoes were 

 grown in other cultures with additions of various organic materials such 

 as lignin, peat, neutral lignin, and rotten wood. Analysis of the soil for 

 nutrients was performed after some of the crops were grown. Onions, 

 beans, and lettuce were grown in a few similar cultures. 



Amendments of soil with lignin, in general, gave increased yields of 

 potatoes over controls. Lignin with added sulphur is of doubtful value. 

 Peat showed some benefit in limited trials. Tomatoes showed no benefit 

 from any organic material except with rotten wood. The soil nutrient 

 tests with the tomato cultures showed complete exhaustion of nitrate ni- 

 trogen at maturity with all organic materials added, as compared to a 

 small amount left in the controls. Onions showed distinct benefit from 

 lignin applications, but lignin plus sulphur was detrimental. Beans and 

 lettuce showed no benefit. 



Sand and Water Cultures. Sunflowers were grown in sand and 

 gravel culture with modifications of texture by additions of methocel, a 

 colloidal organic compound of high viscosity, and colloidal lignin. The 

 effect of methocel in causing better growth was much greater in fine tex- 

 ture than corresponding treatments in coarser texture. Lignin effects 

 were very similar. Corn and tomatoes were grown in water cultures with 

 small amounts of lignin, methocel, and colloidal clay added to the nutrient 

 solutions. No benefit was obtained from such additions except a slight 

 one with colloidal clay. Evidently one effect of these colloids may be 

 to form a film around the sand particles which is beneficial perhaps in 

 holding nutrients. This effect would be absent in water cultures. 



Stuart Dunn 



VEGETABLES 



Squash Storage 



The Butternut variety of squash, a Cucurbits, moschata, which has 

 become very popular in this area in recent years, was given considerable 

 attention in the squash storage trials of 1945-46. Stem removal and heat 

 curing for two weeks, as were found effective with Blue Hubbard, also 

 benefited Butternut. Waxing proved effective in overcoming the tend- 

 ency of the Butternut squash to shrivel, but increased spoilage from black 

 rot. Squash dipped in formaldehyde and not waxed shriveled worse than 

 the untreated squash, but did not show so much black rot. Those treated 

 with formaldehyde and then waxed were much brighter in appearance 

 and kept in storage for a much longer time than under any other treat- 

 ment. The stem ends of Butternut squash were found to contain more 

 dry matter than the seed ends. When the squash were cut at harvest 



