EFFECTS OF ACID AND ALKALINE SOLUTIONS UPON PLANTS 427 
Table IX — Continued 
Solution 
Quantity of Water 
Remarks 
Absorbed 
Transpired 
Retained 
II. 
HCl W/800+ 
CaNOs «/8oo 
9.190 
4.770 
8.600 
12.710 
8.810 
4.460 
8.310 
12.270 
0.380 
0.310 
0.290 
0.440 
As above in No. 10; roots 
1-3 mm. 
12. 
HCl W/800+ 
C12H22O11 w/800 
9.230 
2.070 
2.250 
1.460 
8.920 
1.980 
2.370 
1.680 
0.310 
0.090 
— 0.120 
— 0.220 
Immersed portion of stem 
gelatinized; roots 1-2 
mm. 
13. 
HCl W/800+ 
CgHizOe w/800 
8.630 
3.350 
4.390 
5.160 
, 8.300 
3.190 
4.190 
5.280 
0.330 
0.160 
0.200 
— 0.120 
Immersed portion of stem 
gelatinized; brownish; 
few short roots 1-3 mm. 
14. 
HCl W/800 + 
C2H5NO2 w/800 
13.800 
5.380 
8.830 
12.470 
13.280 
5. no 
8.450 
12.080 
0.520 
0.270 
0.380 
0.390 
As above in No. 13; roots 
1-6 mm. 
6. The effects of the reaction of solutions on the quantity of water 
retained by the plants and on the green weight of roots and tops are 
most markedly shown in tables XI and XII. In every case where 
salts have been added to HCl w/800, the amount of water retained and 
the actual gain in the weight of the plants is greater than that in the 
corresponding hydrochloric acid solution without salts. Especially 
is this the case where glycocoll and the nitrates of Na, Ca and K had 
been used. The chlorides are more effective than the sulfates in 
bringing about a reduction in the amount of water that the plants can 
retain. The figures also show that the least increase is found in the 
sucrose solution. 
The table (XI), moreover, brings out some interesting data on the 
changes in the metabolism of the plants. The difference between the 
actual gain of the plants — i. e., the increase in weight above the initial 
green weight — and the total amount of water retained, is greater in 
the nitrates of Na and Ca than in their sulfates or chlorides. 
This order of the effectiveness of the anions, it will be noted, is 
reversed with the salts of K; the acceleration is in the order CI, SO4, 
NO3. There is no difficulty in discovering that equimolecalar con- 
centrations of glycocoll and sodium nitrate when added to HCl n/800 
are nearly alike in their efficiency to increase the constructive pro- 
cesses in general, and that NaCl and sucrose induce the greatest 
