4 BULLETIN 42, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



was greater with peas than with barley. Manganese sulphate used 

 in the same manner caused a stimulation in the growth of wheat. 



Voelcker * at the Woburn Experimental Station, England, made 

 experiments in pots to study the effect of the different compounds of 

 manganese on wheat and barley. The chloride, sulphate, phosphate, 

 and nitrate of manganese stimulated growth in both wheat and bar- 

 ley. The stimulation was greatest with barley. The iodide and car- 

 bonate had a detrimental effect. The oxides were harmful to both 

 cereals. The surface of the soil in these pots was stiff and hard and 

 turned dark, which indicated excessive oxidation. 



Fukutome 2 secured results showing that the joint application of 

 manganese chloride and ferrous sulphate had a beneficial effect on 

 the growth of flax, while each alone in the proportion of 0.4 grams 

 to 8 kilos of soil had but little effect. 



A continuous culture experiment 3 with wheat and maize was con- 

 ducted at Suessola, Italy, using manganese dioxide with manure. In 

 some years there was an increase and in others a decrease. 



Namba 4 effected increases by the use of manganese sulphate in 

 amounts of 0.1 and 0.2 gram to 8 kilos of soil with the culture of 

 onions. He secured an increase of 59 and 38 per cent, respectively. 

 Amounts as high as 0.5 gram in a pot of 8 kilos of soil depressed 

 growth considerably. Gregoire, Hendrick, and Carpiaux 5 worked on 

 the action of manganese sulphate on potatoes on a rich soil without 

 securing any beneficial action. Loew 6 working with pots secured 

 very little stimulation with tobacco and only a slight increase with 

 potatoes. He also found that manganese chloride decreased the 

 yield of millet, where the manganese was applied the previous year 

 to another crop. 



Loew and Honda 7 obtained an interesting result with young 

 cypress trees (Cryptomeria japonica), which received manganese sul- 

 phate as a top dressing in monthly applications for one year and a 

 half. The organic production was doubled compared with the con- 

 trol trees. Manganese proved beneficial to vine culture and the 

 culture of trees in general. 



Ray and Pradier 8 fertilized apricot trees with manganese, which 

 increased vegetation and produced larger fruit. 



Bertrand 9 secured beneficial effects with oats, using manganese 

 sulphate in field plots in amounts of 45 pounds per acre. In more 



1 Voelcker, Jour. Royal Agr. Soc, 64, 348 (1903); 66, 306 (1904). 



7 Fukutome, Y., On the influence of manganese salts on flax. Bui. Col. Agr. Tokyo, 6, 137 (1904-5). 

 3 Italo Giglioli. Annali scuola agricoltura Portici. Ser. 2, p. 159 (1901). 



* Namba, L., On the behavior of onion to stimulants. Bull. Col. Agr. Tokyo, 7, 635 (1906-1908). 

 s Bul. Agricole, Bruxelles, 23, 388 (1907). 



• Loew, O., On the treatment of crops by stimulating compounds. Bul. Col. Agr. Tokyo, 6, 161(1904-5). 

 ' Loew, O., and Honda, S., Ueber den Einfluss des Mangans auf Waldbaume. Bul.Col. Agr.Tokyo,6, 



125(1904-5). 



8 Ray, G., and Pradier, G., Nitrate d'uranium et sulfate de manganese, leur emploi avantageux en 

 arboriculture fruitiere. L'Engrais, 24, 1029 (1909). 



» Bertrand, G., Compt. rend. 141, 1255 (1905). 



