SOIVIE EFFECTS OF SODIUM ARSENITE 
11 
proportion to the size of the plant, They were treated in the field 
in their natural habitats, and the quantity used was in no case more 
than 2 gallons per plant. Table 1 gives the results. 
Table 4. — Quantities of arsenic found in plants treated with sodium- arsenite 
Name 
of plant 
Date 
treated 
Date 
sampled 
Arsenic (per cent) found 
in— 
Common 
Latin 
^ aves cence 
Entire 
plant 
Alfalfa 
Aug. 25 
-.do 
...do 
...do.... 
—do 
...do 
—do 
-..do 
—do 
—do 
—do 
—do 
—do 
—do 
--do 
— do-... 
—do 
Sept. 8 
Aug. 25 
-.do 
Sept. 8 
Aug. 25 
Aug. 28 
—do 
Sept. 4 
Aug. 28 
Sept. 4 
—do 
...do 
Aug. 28 
--do 
Sept. 6 
Aug. 28 
—do 
...do 
—do 
--.do 
Sept. 4 
...do 
Sept. 11 
Aug. 28 
Sept. 6 
Sept. 11 
—do 
Aug. 28 
0.231 
.95 
Berberis vulgaris L 
Echinochloa crusgalli L 
Beta vulgaris L 
Acer negundo L. 
Cichorium intybus L 
Melilotus alba Desr 
Xanthium echinatum Murr. 
Zea mays L 
Lactuca canadensis L 
Ipomoea coccinea L 
Pinus strobus L 
Plantago major L 
Prunus americana Marsh. — 
Populus deltoides Marsh 
Agropyron repens L 
Salsola kali tenuifolia G. F. 
W. Mey. 
Rumex hastatulus Baldw... 
Helianthus annuus L 
Rhus glabra L 
Barnyard grass 
Beet, sugar... 
Boxelder (4 feet high).. .. 
0.014 
.018 
.047 
- 
.056 
.040 
C hicory 
Clover, sweet 

.026 
.040 
Corn 
.049 
.056 
Pine 
.018 
r62i~ 
.14 
Plantain 

.040 
Poplar (10 feet high) 
.030 
.026 
Sorrel 
.057 
Sunflower — 
.148 
.018 
.018 
.010 
.17 
0.143 
Turnip 
Parthenocissus quinquefolia 
^ Planch. 
Willow . . 
Symptoms of poisoning occurred in all cases on the third or fourth 
day. and all treated plants died. The leaves were soon altered in 
appearance, the green color becoming whitish or brownish, start- 
ing from the margins and developing inward. The more succulent 
plants withered and collapsed, and the poplar leaves turned black. 
The poplar was particularly sensitive to the poison. It was a small 
tree about 10 feet high and grew in waste land in sand. Other 
poplars 10 feet away from the treated tree died also. Evidently the 
arsenic came into contact with the roots. This fact demonstrates 
the rapidity with which the poison acts. Wild cherry and oak ap- 
peared less susceptible than the other plants. 
Alfalfa, barberries, and turnips growing in the same general loca- 
tion as those given in Table 1 but which were not treated with 
sodium arsenite were analyzed, and no arsenic was found. 
ABSORPTION THROUGH TOPS OR LEAVES 
Repeated attempts with sprays applied to the leaves and tops of 
the bushes have failed to kill common barberries. Sodium-arsenite 
solution and several other chemicals were tried, but in all cases ex- 
cept seedling barberries numerous sprouts developed from the roots 
of the sprayed bushes even though the tops were killed. As most 
recommendations for the use of chemicals as weed killers have been 
to spray the plants and as spraying has been successful even with 
perennial plants that propagate by stolons, a few experiments were 
