1885. | Botany. IIOI 
while under the application of the dilute organic acids the plants 
maintained a comparatively vigorous growth. 
- The relative condition of the plants at the end of the experi- 
ment as compared with that at the beginning was nearly the same 
in both sets of experiments, viz., with the inorganic and carbolic 
acids they underwent a slow devitalization culminating in the 
death of the plant, or a very reduced state of health, while with 
the other acids they apparently resisted their weakening influence 
more successfully, and while not assisted were but slightly in- 
jured by their presence in the soil. The mineralized soils proved 
uncongenial for the plant, but in this case the plants watered 
with organic acids and those treated with water showed a very 
similar if not identical state of health. 
owever, the conjecture that in the mineralized soils the acid- 
Watered plants would show an increase in ash over the water- 
plant seems confirmed by the following tables of the results 
obtained. 
Experiment of 1882 with garden mold for soil: 
Wt. dried plant. Percentage ash. 
Nitric . .. . 0.536 grammes 16.79 
Carbolic . DSi. F 16.60 
gs E E 0.5535 ie 18.15 
cee ne Fi Sv ales dd 17.00 
annic 0.6975 ” 19.80 
Tartaric,.; 0.9325 = 14.74 
Water... .. L169." 19.11 
Experiments of 1883 with siliceous, feldspathic and calcareous 
Lis ; 
SILICEOUS. 
Wt. dried plant. Percentage ash. 
Hydrochloric . .904 ? grammes 19.46 
eg ae ape 9st? * 17.36 
Carbolic . 532 z 17-48 
Sulphuric -+391 T 19.60 
Formic .683 as 20,05 
Oxalic -597 2 21.77 
aa ePi > t 20.92 
Tannic .729 "e 19.82 
779 s 19.77 
Water... : .951 « 20.51 
FELDSPATHIC. 
Wt. dried plant. Percentage ash. 
- Hydrochloric . .6395 grammes ago o 
Nitric . .510 s 22.15 
Carbolic . ..; eS 14.93 
Sulphuric .400 s 22.00 
OMIC 5... y, as ise eee EST. 20,67 
