— 6 — 
of experiments was instituted to determine, beforehand, whether a 
failure to get a stand should be attributed to the alkali, to the seed, 
or to some other cause. I also endeavored to determine the max- 
imum amount of the constituent compounds of the alkali which might 
be present and still permit the seed to germinate. The amount of 
sodic chloride present in our alkali is so inconsiderable that it was 
excluded from our experiments, which were made with the other 
salts composing the alkali, i. e., sodic carbonate, which is present in 
small quantities only, sodic sulphate, and magnesic sulphate. There 
is a very large amount of calcic sulphate in the soil, but no germin- 
ation experiments were made with it. 
My object, as already stated, was to determine the vitality of 
the seed, the effect of these salts upon the germination of the seed 
and upon the young plants. The salts were used separately, 
and also in conjunction, in quantities varying from 0.01 per cent, 
to 1.0 per cent, of the air-dried soil ; for instance, 99 grams of clean, 
washed, and ignited sand, and 1 gram of dr^q neutral sodic carbonate, 
were taken. The seed used were carefully selected, only fresh, plump 
burs being taken. The vessels used as germinating cups were or- 
dinary glass tumblers. By using these we avoided the evaporation 
from the sides of the vessels, which would have taken place had a 
porous retainer, such as a flower pot, been used, and also any drain- 
age and consequent washing out of the alkali. Evaporation from 
the surface, and too strong a light, were guarded against by covering 
each glass with a close-fitting disk of paste board. After the salts 
had been added to the sand, distilled water was used to wet the mass, 
and subsequently to replace that lost by evaporation. 
The experiment extended over a period of 37 days, from April 
11 to May 17, inclusive. The temperature was. observed at 
7:00 a. m., 12:00 m.,and 6:00 p. m. The lowest temperature at 7:00 
a. m. was on the day of planting, 46° F. ; the highest temperature at 
this hour was 63° F. ; the average of all the readings, 51°. The av- 
erage temperature at noon for the entire period was 61° F., and at 
6:00 p. m., 70° F. 
The experiment was divided into four series : The first with sodic 
carbonate, the second with sodic sul{)hate, the third with a mixture of 
these two salts, sodic carbonate and sulphate, and the fourth with 
magnesic sul[)liate. The general results of the experiments only are 
given, because a detail of the daily record would show but little of 
interest, and occupy a great deal of space. The chief thing which 
would be gained would be the easily demonstrated fact that the seed 
germinate more quickly in the solutions of the soda salts, and more 
slowly in the magnesium salt, than when they are absent, and that 
the corrosive action of the sodic carbonate made itself manifest when 
so much as .05 per cent, of it was present in the soil. 
