Antitoxic Action of Certain Bases 



145 



TABLE 11. 



Experiment with Canada Field Pea. Duration, Twenty-four Days. 

 Data for Ten Plants 



Composition of solution 



N/100 XaCl+N/ 1,000 CaCl.. 

 N/100 NaCl+N/2,000 CaCU. 

 N/100 NaCI+N/4,000 CaCl2. 



N/100 NaCl 



N/1,000 CaCh 



N/2,000 CaCh 



N/4,000 CaCh 



Distilled water 



Green 

 weight 

 of tops 

 (grams) 



5.25 

 6.50 

 4.80 

 Small 

 6.20 

 5.10 

 4.80 

 2.20 



Green 

 weight 

 of roots 

 (grams) 



3.90 

 4.60 

 3.70 

 Inap.* 

 3.30 

 2.20 

 2.10 

 1.80 



Total 



green 



weight 



(grams) 



9.15 

 11.10 

 8.50 

 Small 

 9.50 

 7.30 

 6.90 

 4.00 



Average 

 length 

 of tops 

 (centi- 

 meters) 



18.0 

 25.0 

 17.0 



4.0 

 22.0 

 18.0 

 19.0 



7.0 



Average 

 length 

 of roots 

 (centi- 

 meters) 



12.0 



14.0 



11.0 



2.0 



13.0 



10.0 



9.5 



4.0 



*Inappreciable. 



Calcium and ammonium 

 The salts of ammonium are extremely injurious to green plants at 

 relatively dilute concentrations. V/hen wheat seedhngs are placed in 

 very dilute solutions of ammonium chlorid the deleterious action is 

 exhibited in a pronounced manner by the inhibition of root growth. 

 Iromediate injurious effects on the tops are manifest only when the con- 

 centration is considerably increased. (An explanation of this behavior is 

 reserved.) In this connection it is of interest to note that the salts of 

 ammonium are in general considered agents which penetrate the cell 

 more rapidly than do other salts. Experiments conducted by the writer 

 with peas and wheat show conclusively that the deleterious effect of 

 ammonium is greatly reduced by the addition of calcium; yet the calcium 

 relation is apparently not modified by ammonium. 



Maze (1900) states that ammonium salts are poisonous to corn when 

 present in greater amounts than .5 part per 1000 in the following solution: 



Distilled water 1,000 cubic centimeters 



KH2PO4 1.0 gram 



CaCOs 2.0 grams 



MgS04 0.2 gram 



FeS04 0.1 gram 



MnCl2 0.1 gram 



ZnClo Trace 



K2Si205 Trace 



He found the toxicity manifested particularly in the root development. 

 The roots were retarded in their growth, being short and stubby. 



