1918] REED—WHEAT SEEDLINGS 379 
Na:ash ratio in the first 4 sets of plants does not show any real 
difference. In the last 2 the relative amounts of sodium are less. 
The amounts of sodium and calcium actually absorbed and 
retained by the plants may be of more interest to consider because 
me hos show what the plants in the various cultures actually 
The results shown in table III are taken from table II, 
- 
TABLE III 
AMOUNTS OF NA AND CA ABSORBED FROM SOLUTIONS BY 
WHEAT PLANTS IN 16 DAYS 
AMOUNTS ABSORBED 
RATIOS FURNISHED 
Na Ca 
¥, SOONG? OUR. cg 0.009 0.000 
2: GENS: 20a oslo. 0.014 0.0042 
Boo) BSNS T5OB io ce 0.011 0.0046 
A> Ghee See ak a fore) 0.0072 
BEWas Gete e sr: 0.004 0.01 
6 : BS Maa ge ° 0.0166 
and show the amounts of sodium and calcium after deducting what 
was found in plants grown in solutions containing none of the ele- 
ment in question. 
These results show that the greatest amount of sodium was 
absorbed from the solution containing the ratio 98Na:2Ca. Less 
sodium was absorbed from any other combination, even from pure 
sodium chloride. At the same time they also show no such selec- 
tive absorption in the case of calcium. The amounts of calcium 
absorbed increase steadily as the amount in the solution increases, 
reaching their maximum in pure calcium chloride. There appears 
to be a “‘preferred ratio” of calcium for sodium, but none of sodium 
for calcium, although more cultures employing smaller amounts of 
sodium chloride should have been tried. 
Summary 
The antagonism of calcium and sodium which has been found 
by other workers exists also in more dilute solutions and may be 
shown by chemical analyses of the plants grown therein. 
