July is, 1921 
Assimilation of Nutrient Salts by Corn 
573 
organic compounds may be transported to the roots; and when utiliza¬ 
tion is rapid, movement to the roots may be retarded. On such a basis, 
it might be said that slow utilization of nutrient ions, due either to a 
deficiency in the supply or to a reduced rate of translocation in the plant, 
would be stimulating to root growth. This, of course, applies to total 
root growth. 
The relative amounts of root growth made in the different solutions 
(when the roots were divided) would depend on the relative needs of the 
plant for the nutrients present in the solutions, since the organic com¬ 
pounds would evidently be most quickly utilized in those roots which 
contained the greatest number of the essential ions. 
