578 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXI, No. 8 
EXPERIMENTAL DATA 
AMOUNT OP MERCURIC CHLORID REMOVED PROM THE SOLUTION DURING 
THE ORDINARY COMMERCIAL TREATMENT OP SEED SWEET POTATOES 
In order to determine the amount of mercuric clilorid removed from 
the solution in which seed sweet potatoes were treated, two duplicate 
experiments were conducted, the results of which are recorded in Table 
I. A sample of the solution was taken in each case before any potatoes 
were added, and others were taken after each 5 bushels treated. After 
two 5-bushel lots were treated ^ ounce of mercuric clilorid dissolved 
in water was added, the solution was stirred thoroughly, and another 
sample was taken. After four 5-bushel lots of potatoes were treated 
the solutions were made up to their original volume. 
For the sake of convenience in presenting the data in the tables the 
1-to-1,000 mercuric-chlorid solution is considered equal to 100 per cent, 
and all of the other concentrations are calculated on the same basis. 
Tabi,E I .—Percentage of mercuric chlorid removed from solution by treating 5 bushels of 
sweet potatoes in 32 gallons of solution for jive minutes 
Number of bushels treated. 
Amount 
of HgCb 
added. 
Percentage of HgCla 
present in solution. 
Percentage of HgCl 2 
removed by each 5 
bushels of potatoes 
treated. 
Experi¬ 
ment 1. 
Experi¬ 
ment 2. 
Experi¬ 
ment 1. 
Experi¬ 
ment 2. 
Ounces. 
96. 6 
90*3 
84. 2 
103. I 
97.O 
89. 1 
90. 9 
87. 1 
95 * 6 
89. 9 
86.5 
102. 3 
IOO. 7 
95-5 
10c;. 2 
io 3 * 4 
6-3 
6. 1 
5 - 7 
3-4 
O. 
H 
6. 1 
7-9 
4^ to 
00 0 
O. 
K a 
3-8 
1.8 
Averages b . 
6. 04 
3 - 54 
1 
antl^T^ gaHon s fn'ex pe rime nt"2.^ e S ° 1Uti ° n *° itS ° righlal VO,Ume - This rec|uired 5 experiment 1 
6 Average for the two experiments =>4.79 per cent. 
An examination of Table I shows that in neither experiment was the 
original solution of a i to 1,000 strength. However, no attempt was 
made to measure the water accurately, but an effort was made to dupli¬ 
cate the method which a sweet-potato grower would probably use. 
The results of the analyses in Table I, experiment i (treatment 5 minutes), 
show that the first 5 bushels of potatoes treated reduced the strength of 
the solution 6.3 per cent, the second 5 bushels 6.1 per cent, the third 
6.1 per cent, the fourth 7.9 per cent, and the fifth 3.8 per cent, making an 
average reduction of 6.04 per cent for each 5 bushels of potatoes treated. 
In experiment 2 (treatment 10 minutes) the first 5 bushels reduced the 
