INJURY BY DISINFECTANTS TO SEEDS AND ROOTS. 35 



consequent on the capillary rise of the soil solution and the evaporation 

 of water from the soil surface. It is found that in a sandy Nebraska 

 soil all injury can be prevented by very frequent watering during the 

 germinating period (pp. 11-12). It can also be prevented in the case 

 of acid applications by adding lime to the soil shortly after treating 

 with the disinfectant (pp. 21-22). The lime method, while undesir- 

 able in the case of pines, is probably the only one which will prevent 

 injury to angiospermous seedlings. The acids can be applied to seed 

 beds at the time of sowing without any injury to dormant pine seed. 

 Formaldehyde and mercuric chlorid in sufficient disinfecting strengths 

 must be used several days before seed sowing, as they are able to kill 

 dormant pine seed in the soil. Formaldehyde applied at or before 

 seed sowing never causes the injury to germinating pines that is 

 caused by the acids and salts. 



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