749 



chlorid in the soil is enough to make it sterile because of the density. Sanna^ 

 found near salt works a preponderance of fine earth over coarse particles and 

 calls attention to the fact that the work of the soil bacteria is stopped by 

 the decreased supply of air. Such soils must unquestionably be laid open in 

 furrows before winter so that they may again undergo a breaking up by 

 frost. Finally, one more point must be cited to which Preglion- has called 

 attention. He studied the peculiar deforming of the ears which is called 

 "Garbin", and ascribed to the action of sea winds. According to him, how- 

 ever, physiological drought is to blame for this. The salty soil holds the 

 water so fast that the roots are not able to take it up in sufficient amounts. 



In regard to the direct effect, consideration must be given to the fact 

 that a plant can particularly adjust itself to water containing salt, according 

 to its own peculiarity, and change its habit of growth accordingly. Hoster- 

 mann^ has proved that meadow grasses take on a xerophyte structure ; they 

 become smaller and squattier ; the internodes shorter and the leaves smaller ; 

 the plant growth is meagre and the root system develops weakly. Transpi- 

 ration retrogresses and the energy of assimilation is arrested with 0.05 per 

 cent. In regard to the germinating power of seeds, it has been observed 

 that weak concentrations (0.5 to 0.75 per cent.) act favorably, but above 

 that amount injury sets in. 



Areschoug* mentions other phenomena of adjustment, since he considers 

 the retention of water in tissues not directly connected with assimilation 

 (storage tracheids, slime cells) to be a protection against the accumulation of 

 chlorids. Also, the hydathodes appear to eliminate water containing sodium 

 chlorid. Diels'' found that structural adjustment for arresting transpiration 

 increases with the saltiness of the habitat. It might be concluded from this 

 that vegetation from the coast would also behave differently in basins of 

 water containing different amounts of salts. Rostrup^ also actually calls atten- 

 tion to this point. Pines suffer the most and birches the least. It is evident 

 from the notes made by the Economic Society of the Province of Maribo 

 after the floods of 1858, '63, '65 that the effect of salt water is greater the 

 more loam the soil contains. Of winter plants thus flooded, rye suffered more 

 than wheat. In early spring seeding on land saturated with salt, barley and 

 peas were injured most of all. Mangelwurzels, potatoes, white clover and 

 ray grass did not seem to suffer very much from the effect of salty soil. On 

 the other hand, red clover was very sensitive. In Wohltmann's experi- 



1 Sanna, A., Einfluss des Seesalzes auf die Pflanzen. Staz. sperim XXXVII- cit 

 Centralbl. f. Agrikulturchemie 1904, p. 826. 



2 Peg-lion, V, Der Salzgehalt des Bodens und seine Wirkung- auf die Veg-etation 

 des Getreides. Staz. speriment agrar. ital. 1903; cit. Centralbl. f. vVgrikulturchemie 

 1904, p. 507. Ricome, Influence du chlorure de Sodium, etc.; cit. Zeitschrift fiir 

 Pflanzenkrankh. 1904, p. 222. 



3 Hostermann, Einfluss des Kochsalzes auf die Veg-etation von Wiesengrasern. 

 Landwirtsch. Jahrb. Suppl. 1901; cit. Centralbl. f. Ag-rikulturchemie 1903, p. 211. 



* Areschoug-, P. W. Untersuchungren iiber den Blattbau der Mangrovepflanzen. 

 Bibl. bot. 1902; cit. Bot. Jahresber. 1902, II, p. 295. 



5 Diels, L. Stoffwechsel und Struktur der Halophvten; cit. Bot. .Tahresber. 

 1898, I, p. 606. 



G Rostrup, Plantepatolog-i, p. 74, 75. 



