Antitoxic Action of Certain Bases 



149 



to a somewhat less extent to the roots. Although slight growth results 

 in the above cultures, death of tops soon occurs. N/50 NH4CI is only 

 slightly toxic. The addition of either N/25, N/50, or N/100 CaCla 

 reduces the deleterious action of N/25 or N/50 NH4CI; whereas N/10 

 CaCl2 increases the total injury, possibly due, however, to the general 

 increase in concentration. 



Sodium and ammonium 



Mutual antagonism may be shown to exist between sodium and ammo- 

 nium ions, wheat seedlings being employed as indicators. The writer's 

 experiments show that death of the seedlings soon results when they are 

 placed in a solution of N/50 NaCl. A solution of N/2000 NH4CI is 

 poisonous to the seedlings. The toxicity of the ammonium ions of either 

 N/100, N/500, or N/1000 NH4CI is greatly reduced by N/50 NaCl. 

 Solutions of either N/500, N/1000, or N/2000 NaCl appreciably antidote 

 N/1000 NH4CI. The toxicity of N/50 NaCl is clearly antidoted by 

 NH4CI. The following data from the writer's experiments support these 

 statements : 



TABLE 16. 



Experiment with Wheat. Duration, Twenty-one Days. 

 Eight Plants 



Data for 



Composition of solution 



Average 



length 



of tops 



(centimeters) 



Average 



length 



of roots 



(centimeters) 



Total 



green 



weight 



(grams) 



Color 

 of tops 



N/50 NaCl+N/100 NH4CI 



N/50 NaCl+N/500 NH4CI 



N/50 NaCl+N/1,000 NH4CI 



N/500 NaCl+N/1,000 NH4CI.. . . 

 N/1,000 NaCl+N/1,000 NH4CI. . 

 N/2,000 NaCl+N/1,000 NH4CI. . 

 N/50 NaCl 



N/500 NaCl 



N/2,000 NH4CI 



Distilled water 



11 

 11 



12 

 11 

 11 



Slight growth 



11 



4 



6 

 7 

 8 

 6 

 6 

 6 

 Slight growth 



Slight growth 



.50 

 .95 

 .90 

 .75 

 .72 

 .69 

 Weight not 

 taken 

 .86 

 .45 

 .95 



Poor 

 Poor 

 Poor 

 Poor 

 Poor 

 Poor 

 Poor 



Poor 

 Poor 

 Poor 



Calcium and hariu7n 



Barium in soils. — Considerable interest was attached to the experiments 

 with barium, since in recent times the occurrence and distribution of 



