A NEW THREE-SALT NUTRIENT SOLUTION 
339 
Table i 
Partial volume-molecular concentrations of each of the three salts used, for twelve 
different sets of salt proportions, the solution numbers corresponding to those employed 
by Shive. Total osmotic value about 7.75 atmospheres in every case. 
Solution No. 
Partial 
V olume-molecular Concentration 
KNO3 
Ca(H2P04)2 
MgS04 
RiCi 
.0036 
.0026 
.0400 
C3 
.0036 
.0078 
.0300 
C6 
.0036 
.0156 
.0150 
C8 
.0036 
.0308 
.0050 
R2C4 
.CO72 
.0104 
.0200 
R3C1 
.0108 
.0026 
.0300 
C6 
.0108 
.0156 
.0050 
R4C2 
.0144 
.0052 
.0200 
C4 
.0144 
.0104 
.0100 
R6C1 
.0216 
.0026 
.0150 
C3 
.0216 
.0078 
.0050 
R8C1 
.0288 
.0026 
.0050 
It was found that all these solutions could be made up from stock 
solutions of the individual salts, without the formation of precipitate, 
and that they were stable. Ferric phosphate was added to each 
culture jar, in the manner followed by Shive. 
Wheat of the same variety as was used by Shive ("Fulcaster") 
was here employed, and the general technique was the same through- 
out as in his experim.entation. Our culture period extended from 
May 15 to June 2, 1917, thus embracing 18 days. The cultures stood 
on a rotating table in the same greenhouse as was used by Shive. 
For the period in question the absolute minimum temperature was 
13° C. and the average of the daily minima was 18° C; the absolute 
maximum temperature was 39° C. and the average of the daily maxima 
was 30° C. The corrected water loss from a Livingston standard 
white spherical porous-cup atmometer was 295 cc. for the period, 
giving an average rate of 16.4 cc. per day. 
Besides the twelve cultures employing the new solutions, our series 
also included three like cultures with Shive's best solution for wheat, 
introduced for comparison. This is his solution R5C2 (optimal con- 
centration), containing the following three salts in the partial volume- 
molecular proportions indicated: KH2PO4, 0.0180; Ca(N03)2, 0.0052; 
MgS04, 0.0150. 
The total amount of solution removed from each jar by the six 
plants during the entire period (which is practically the same as the 
