﻿16 BULLETIN 1126, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



as the foliage -was much lighter where the borax was applied. The 

 5-pound application of borax produced the least injury. 



In section 3, where 5 pounds of borax per acre were applied, no 

 injury was observed in series A, 13, and C, and the reduction noted 

 in the fruiting of the plants in series A and 13 was not serious. With 

 10 pounds of borax there was a further decrease in. growth and, in 

 general, in the number of bolls formed. Where 20 pounds of borax 

 were used there was a decided harmful effect. In series C, D, E, and 

 F there was a reduction in growth of 22, 35.2, 14.3, and 23.5 per cent 

 respectively; and in series C, D, and E a reduction in boll formation 

 of 10.2, 36, and 11 per cent, respectively. 



In section 2, where the fertilizer was applied in the drill and the 

 seed planted immediately, the harmfulness of borax with 10 and 20 

 pounds per acre was quite marked, especially in series D, E, and F, 

 and the fruiting in series A was adversely affected. The growth was 

 checked more in this section than where the fertilizer was sown broad- 

 cast. The use of 5 pounds per acre reduced growth to a much less 

 extent than the 10 or 20 pound applications. 



In section 1, where the planting was not made until after the fer- 

 tilizer was applied, the harmfulness of the borax was on the whole 

 less than in sections 2 and 3, except in series D and E, which is prob- 

 ably due to drier soil conditions. 



In connection with the rainfall record, it was stated that the 

 moisture condition of the soil was about optimum at the time and 

 after the plantings were made in series A, B, and C. The rainfall 

 was, however, very light during the weeks of July 4 and July 1 1 and 

 was again light the weeks of July 25 and August 3. The effect of the 

 borax in series D and E, which were planted in the period of dry 

 weather, was more severe than in the experiments which were planted 

 when the moisture was more nearly normal. For example, in section 

 1, 20 pounds of borax per acre reduced the growth 9.7 per cent in 

 series C, 47.5 per cent in series D, and 19.2 per cent in series E. In 

 section 2 the growth was reduced 29 per cent in series C, 35.5 per 

 cent in series D, and 36 per cent in series E. In section 3 growth was 

 reduced 22 per cent in series C, 35.2 per cent in series D, and 14.3 per 

 cent in series E. The formation of bolls was also reduced more in 

 series D and E than in C. A few days after the plantings were made 

 in series D, E, and F, a light rain fell, which was followed by a dry 

 period. While the plants were young in the earlier experiments 

 there were occasional heavy rains, and at no time did the soil become 

 very dry. It is not probable that a rainfall of 1 to 1.7 inches in one 

 week distributed over a period of several days would wash very much 

 borax out of reach of the roots of the cotton. However, it would 

 result in the diffusion of the borax through the soil, and this diffusion 

 might easily account for the lesser extent of injury in series A, B, and 

 C. Under the rainfall conditions of series D and E the borax was 

 concentrated in locations surrounding the roots of the young plants 

 and would naturally cause a more severe injury and a greater 

 retardation of growth. 



The data in general show that the action of borax on cotton under 

 the weather conditions prevailing at the time of this test was decid- 

 edly harmful when 20 pounds per acre were applied in the drill or 

 sown broadcast. This quantity showed harmful effects whether the 

 seed was planted immediately after the fertilizers were applied or 



