1915] SCHREINER & SKINNER—GLYCOCOLL 453 
action of these and a number of other nitrogenous compounds 
has been tested in this laboratory, and it has been found that these 
compounds are used as a source of nitrogen for the plant, without 
any transformation into ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates, and that 
the plant absorbs and uses them in preference to nitrate. 
Effect of methyl glycocoll 
The effect of methy] glycocoll on growth was studied in a similar 
way as was glycocoll; that is, wheat plants were grown in nutrient 
culture solutions composed of fertilizer salts, used singly and in 
combination of two and three salts. The methyl glycocoll was 
used in the cultures in amounts of 50 ppm., the same concentration 
as in the glycocoll experiments. The composition of the 66 nutrient 
solutions used are given in table IV, together with the green weight 
of the plants, grown in the solutions without and with methyl 
glycocoll. The plants grew from January 14 to January 26; 
within this time the solutions were changed and replaced by fresh 
solutions of the same composition four times in 3-day periods. 
By an examination of table IV it will be seen that the methyl 
glycocoll, unlike the glycocoll, caused a decrease in growth. This 
is true in the entire set of cultures except four. The total green 
weight of the 66 cultures containing nutrient salts, but no methyl 
glycocoll, was 128.03 grams; while the total green weight of the 
similar set of cultures containing methyl glycocoll was 99.3 grams, 
a reduction in growth of 33 per cent. 
The root growth of the plants in the methyl glycocoll solutions 
was shorter and did not have as healthy an appearance as the roots 
of the plants in the solutions which contained only the nutrient salts. 
The tops, aside from being lighter in weight, were abnormal 
in appearance. The tops did not stand upright, but were twisted 
and grew in a lateral direction. This was true of each culture in 
the entire set, regardless of its content of nutrient salts. These 
physiologically disturbed plants had a pale green color, in contrast 
to the dark green of the normal cultures. The effect of this 
substance resembles somewhat that of cumarin,’®’ which causes 
's SCHREINER, O., and SKINNER, J. J., The toxic action of organic compounds as 
modified by fertilizer salts. Bot. Gaz. 54:31. 1912 
