RELATION OF FERTILISERS TO SOIL FERTILITY. 27 



Manganese. 



(a) Presence of Manganese in Plants. 



SCHEELE. (Meiuoires de Chimie, Dijon, 1785.) The ash of the seed of the wild 

 anise contains a small amount of Mn ; a considerably larger amount 

 occurs in the stems of the same plant. 



HEBAPATH. (Cited by Rousset, Ann. Sci. Agron., 3 sec., 4 (1909), II, p. 82.) 

 Found Mn in the ash of radish, beet, and carrot. 



SALM-HOBSTMAR. (Journ. prakt. Chem., 4G (1849), p. 193.) Mn occurs in the 

 ash of oats. 



J. LIEBIG. (Familiar letters on chemistry, London, 1851, 3 ed., pp. 458-459.) 

 Tea contains manganese. 



HILGARD. (Rpt. Geol. and Agr., Mississippi, 18GO, p. 360.) The ash of the 

 long-leaf pine from Mississippi contains in some instances a relatively 

 large percentage of manganese. 



LECLEP.C. (Compt. Rend., 75, 1872, p. 1213.) The Author, from his investi- 

 gations, concludes that Mn is a universal constituent of soils, and likewise 

 occurs in many plants. 



MAUMENE. (Compt. Rend., 98, 1884, p. 1418.) The parenchyma of cabbage 

 leaves contains only a trace of Mn, but the veins contain considerable 

 quantities. 



H. BRIDGES and W. WATSON. (Chem. News, 1899, 79, 154-167.) The Authors 

 have found Mn present in the ash of Cardamoms. (Amount not stated.) 



A. B. GRIFFITHS. (Compt. Rend., 1900, 131, 422-423.) Mn is present in the ash 

 of sarsaparilla, hydrastis, cardamom, oak, rhatany, and belladonna. 



CHARLES F. SCHLAGDENAUFFEN and E. REEB. (Compt. Rend., 1904, 980-983.) 

 The residue after incinerating the light petroleum extract of ripe barley 

 consists of P,O 3 and phosphates of Ca, Mn, Fe, which existed in the plant as 

 metallic derivatives of lecithin. 



X. PASSERINI. (Boll. Instit. Agrar. Scandicci, 1S05 (ii), 6, 3-14.) Lupins were 

 grown in a soil containing, when dry, 068 per cent, of Mn. The Mn per- 

 centage in the ash, as Mn 2 O 2 , was: leaves 12 per cent., steins 4-5 per cent., 

 nodules 0-3 per cent. Pot experiments in sand containing 0-0002 of Mu. 

 per cent., with and without addition of MuCO 3 , showed no apparent differ- 

 ence. The dry matter of the plants grown with MnCO 3 contained 00095 

 Mn, with MiiCO s 00636 per cent. 



O. PRANDI and A. CIVETTA. (Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital., 1911, 44, 66-83.) Twenty- 

 four wines analysed all contained Mn. Mn. equals 53 or 1-5 per million. 

 Usually, the better the wines, the more Mn. 



(b) Manganese as a Manure. 



E. GIGLIOLI. (Ann. R. Scuola Sup. Agr. Portici, 2 ser. (1001), p. 133.) Mn 

 applied at the rate of 102 Ib. per acre in some wheat experiments. In some 

 instances it resulted in an increase, in some instances a decrease, of yield. 



Aso. (Bull. College of Agr. Tokyo Imp. Univ., 5. pp. 177-185.) The Author 

 cultivated barley, radishes, wheat, and peas in culture solutions containing 

 MnSO 4 , and concludes that in sufficiently dilute solutions Mn exerts a 

 stimulating effect. He finds that in concentrated solutions Mn exerts a 

 toxic effect, greatest in cold weather. 



LOEW and SAW A. (Bull. Coll. Agr. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 5, 161-172.) By adding 

 a small amount of MnSO 4 to culture solutions, a considerable increase in 

 the growth of barley, rice, cabbage, beans, and peas was effected. Same 

 results were obtained in pots. 



NAGAOKA. (Bull. Coll. Agr. Tokyo Imp. Univ., 1GO2-3, 5, pp. 467-472.) The 

 Author grew rice in soil in boxes, to which MnSO 4 was applied, with a 

 general fertiliser. The increased growth of rice was found to be propor- 

 tional to the Mn applied up to 44 Ib. per acre, larger applications bringing 

 about the same result. The following year, without any further application, 

 an increase of 17 per cent, was noticeable. 



NAGAOKA. (Bull. Coll. Agr. Tokyo Imp. Univ., 1906, 7, pp. 77-81.) The above 

 detailed experiments were continued, using Mn sulphate, chloride, and 

 carbonate. The season was very unfavourable to the growth of rice; in 

 most instances a decrease of yield was obtained. The fact that increased 



