THE TOXIC EFFECT OF CERTAIN C0M:M0N SALTS 



OF THE SOIL ON PLANTS 



Florence N. Magowan 



(with oxe figure) 



A number of investigations have been made upon tlic action of 

 single salts on plants, but in the majority of cases the object has been 

 to determine the limit of endurance or the highest concentration at 

 which the plants could hve in the pure salt solutions. These con- 

 centrations var>- with the salts used, and from the tabulated results 

 it is not possible to tell the difference in growth of plants in the various 

 salts in equimolecular solutions, nor would it be safe to assume this 

 difference to vary uniformly at all concentrations. On a-pnori 

 grounds the reverse might be thought to be true, i. e., comparative 

 degree of toxicity of certain solutions at one concentration might be 

 entirely different at another. Again I have found time to be a very 

 important factor in changing this relation, so that experiments 

 lasting only a short period cannot be considered conclusive. The 

 work done by pre^^ous investigators^ differs so greatly in method, and 

 the results are so scattered that no useful comparison with my results 



is possible. 



Wheat was chosen as a well-known agricultural crop, and one vnih 

 which much experimental work has been done. One variety only 

 was used, the ''Early Genesee," which contains a large proportion 



ermi 



•rmi 



Radish 



seeds 



similar results to wheat. 



ular results to wneat. 



In practicailv all experiments that have been made along this line, 

 ^, . ' , r .... ;„^fo^ ;-n HkHlled water, then 



nninated 



• References given at the close of Ae foflowing papers include mo^ °^^^^^ 

 ture on this subJeL "To^c limits and stin^ulating e^-- r^^"" ^"^^b^S 



wneat varieties in resistance 

 PI. Industry, Bull. 79. 1905. 



45] 



rB0tstmmlGAi 



