July 15, 1921 
Reduction Strength of Mercuric-Chlorid Solution 587 
sweet potatoes; and in view of the data presented in Table I, the writer 
feels that the recommendations given are more reliable than any here¬ 
tofore proposed. 
SUMMARY 
(1) A bushel of sweet potatoes, when treated in 32 gallons of a 1 to 
1,000 mercuric-chlorid solution in the manner generally followed by 
farmers, reduces the strength of the solution approximately 1 per cent. 
(2) The decrease in the strength of the mercuric-chlorid solution is 
due in part to the potatoes themselves. 
(3) The dirt and fibrous roots as well as the containers of both the 
potatoes and the solution also remove a certain amount of the disin¬ 
fectant. 
(4) Washed sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes remove approximately 
the same amount of mercuric chlorid from the solution. 
(5) The addition of from 2 / 5 to % ounce of mercuric chlorid and suffi¬ 
cient water to make the solution up to its original volume after each 
10 bushels of sweet potatoes treated will maintain the solution near 
enough to its original strength for all practical purposes for the treat¬ 
ment of 50 bushels of sweet potatoes. 
