12 BULLETIN 1126, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
was dry. This period was followed by two weeks of optimum soil- 
moisture conditions. The effect of the borax in retarding the ger- 
mination of the beans and stunting the growth of the young plants 
was probably more pronounced than if there had been heavy rainfall 
for this period. 
TaBLE 5.—Record of daily rainfall at Arlington, Va., for the five-month period from May 
to September, inclusive, in 1920. 
[Data in inches.] 
Date. | May. ; June. | July. | Aug. Sept. | Date. May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. 
| 
1 Lata 0.38 0 0 0 0 gS esc 0 0. 21 0. 07 0. 18 0 
Dele ee 0 0 0 44 Metis ba a 0 21 . 08 16 0 
See 0 0 1. 96 0 0 ke ae ae 0 0 OFs4 BW 0 
phe eeeate 0 0 0 0 OVA aes eene 0 0 . 89 . 80 0 
ONE sees 0 1.19 0 0 0 Wigaeecyeics ans 0 1,25 0 1.00 0 
Seen 0 . 83 0 . 26 Oris Soo ee 0 els) 0 0 0 
Ui ae 0 0 ieee Ol 2d | 2dee cee 0 0 . 22 1A Biseia ee (0) 
Beer: 41 0 . 62 0 0 I ae ess 0 04 0 0 0 
Qa ae ate 0 0 0 0 OI 2a eee. Se 0 24 . 80 0 . 03 
LOE SoS 0 0 0 . 04 FOO s\2Oeee we 0 0 0 0 0 
Ade acme 0 0 0 . 38 BCU a Rey a7 cei eat 0 0 0 0 0 
PIA eee bs 0 25 0 0 0 Ppa je hres 0 0 0 18 - 07 
DS Seas . 76 0 Pew si Gk SOL a ZO ke 0 0 0 0 . 02 
De aes 0 SUS ee) 0 0 NRL eases 0 0 0 ae 1. 34 
eee yee - 05 0 .3l 0 0 Sle 258 Oyo Te steers 0 Dora hese as 
IG 2a 0 . 09 02 . 36 0 
The weather conditions at the time of planting the potatoes on 
July 1 were somewhat different. For 10 days preceding the in- 
auguration of the experiment about 1 inch of rain had fallen, and 
the soil was sufficiently moist to cause germination and to support 
normal growth. On July 3, two days after the fertilizer was applied 
and the seed planted in sections 2 and 3, there was a rainfall of 1.96 
inches. While this depth of rainfall would not be likely to cause 
any considerable quantity of borax to be leached, it probably would 
be sufficient to dissolve the borax. By the natural movement of 
the soil moisture the borax would be well diffused in the soil. The 
borax in section 1, where the delayed planting was made, was probably 
well distributed before planting was done. Occasional rains during 
July kept the soil well supplied with moisture except in the last of the 
month, when a period of about a week without rainfall occurred. The 
rainfall in August was favorable, so that the potatoes germinated 
and grew under rather favorable moisture conditions, and only 
slight borax injury was experienced. It required relatively large 
quantities to produce a pronounced injury. 
The corn which was planted early in May started its growth under 
somewhat different weather conditions than did the beans and 
potatoes. When planted on May 3 the soil was in a good moist con- 
dition and. during the following 12 days there was a well-distributed 
rainfall of 1.22 inches, which was during the germination stage. The 
rainfall was sufficient to keep the surface soil in a moist condition, 
and at no time during the 12-day germinating period did the surface 
become dry. The following 3 weeks, which was the period when the 
young plants were beginning their growth, were without rainfall, As 
was pointed out earlier, there was considerable injury to the young 
corn by small quantities of borax, except possibly in the 3 plats of 
section 1 which received 1, 2, and 3 pounds of borax per acre. 
