16 BULLETIN 1126, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
as the foliage was much lighter where the borax was applied. The > 
5-pound application of borax produced the least injury. 
In section 3, where 5 pounds of borax per acre were applied, no 
injury was observed in series A, B, and C, and the reduction noted 
in the fruiting of the plants in series A and B was not serious. With 
10 pounds of borax there was a further decrease in growth and, in 
general, in the number of bolls formed. Where 20 pounds of borax 
were used there was a decided harmful effect. In series C, D, E, and 
F there was a reduction in growth of 22, 35.2, 14.3, and 23.5 per cent 
respectively; and in series C, D, and E a reduction in boll formation 
of 10.2, 36, and 11 per cent, respectively. : 
In section 2, where the fertilizer was applied in the drill and the 
seed planted immediately, the harmfulness of borax with 10 and 20 
pounds per acre was quite marked, especially in series D, HE, and F, 
and the fruiting in series A was adversely affected. The growth was 
checked more im this section than where the fertilizer was sown broad- 
cast. The use of 5 pounds per acre reduced growth to a much less 
extent than the 10 or 20 pound applications. 
In section 1, where the planting was not made until after the fer- 
tilizer was applied, the harmfulness of the borax was on the whole 
less than in sections 2 and 3, except in series D and E, which is prob- 
ably due to drier soil conditions. 
In connection with the rainfall record, it was stated that the 
moisture condition of the soil was about optimum at the time and 
after the plantings were made in series A, B, and C. The rainfall 
was, however, very light during the weeks of July 4 and July 11 and 
was again light the weeks of July 25 and August 3. The effect of the 
borax in series D and E,-which were planted in the period of dry 
weather, was more severe than in the experiments which were planted 
when the moisture was more nearly normal. For example, in section 
1, 20 pounds of borax per acre reduced the growth 9.7 per cent in 
series C, 47.5 per cent in series D, and 19.2 per cent in series E. In 
section 2 the growth was reduced 29 per cent in series C, 35.5 per 
cent in series D, and 36 per cent in series EK. In section 3 growth was 
reduced 22 per cent in series C, 35.2 per cent in series D, and 14.3 per 
cent in series EH. The formation of bolls was also reduced more in 
series D and EK thanin C. A few days after the plantings were made 
in series D, E, and F, a light rain fell, which was followed by a dry 
period. While the plants were young in the earlier experiments 
there were occasional heavy rains, and at no time did the soil become 
very dry. It is not probable that a rainfall of 1 to 1.7 inches in one 
week distributed over a period of several days would wash very much 
borax out of reach of e roots of the cotton. However, it would 
result in the diffusion of the borax through the soil, and this diffusion 
might easily account for the lesser extent of injury in series A, B, and 
C. Under the rainfall conditions of series D and E the borax was 
concentrated in locations surrounding the roots of the young plants 
and would naturally cause a more severe injury and a greater 
retardation of growth. 2 
The data in general show that the action of borax on cotton under 
the weather conditions prevailing at the time of this test was decid- 
edly harmful when 20 pounds per acre were applied in the drill or 
sown broadcast. This quantity showed aaa effects whether the 
seed was planted immediately after the fertilizers were applied or 
SERS io: 
