436 
Journal of Agricultural Research vd. xxm, no. <s 
An examination of the data given in Table I shows generally that the 
growth of the cotton was checked and the fruiting decreased by the 
borax. The degree of injury, however, varies with the different plant¬ 
ings and with the different methods of applying the fertilizers. The 
germination was rather irregular where 20 pounds of borax were applied, 
and when the cotton was young some died in spots. Ten pounds had a 
decided effect on the color of the foliage in each experiment. Where 
borax was used the foliage was much lighter green. 
EFFECT UNDER DIFFERENT METHODS OF APPLYING FERTILIZERS 
In section 3, where the fertilizers were sown broadcast and 5 pounds 
of borax applied per acre, no injury was observed in series A, B, and C, 
and only a slight reduction in growth in series D, E, and F. There 
was only a slight reduction in the fruiting of the plants. With 10 
pounds of borax there was a decided decrease in growth and in the 
number of bolls formed. The degree of harmfulness produced by borax 
in the different plantings is noticeable. It is probably due to weather 
conditions to be considered later. 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 a reduction in boll formation of 10.2, 36, and 11 per cent in series C, 
D, and E, respectively. In section 2, where the fertilizers were applied 
in the drill and the seed was planted immediately afterwards, the harm¬ 
fulness of borax when 10 or 20 pounds per acre were used was marked. 
The growth was checked more in section 2 than where the fertilizers were 
sown broadcast. Five pounds per acre reduced growth considerably in 
series E and F. In section 1, where the planting was not made until 
one week after the fertilizers were applied and where in each case a rain 
intervened, the harmfulness of the borax is considerably less than in 
sections 2 and 3, except in series D and E. To judge from the data as a 
whole, it can hardly be concluded that 10 pounds were harmful when 
applied as in this section of the experiments. 
A record of the height of the plants made when the crop was young 
shows that the growth was checked in the very beginning by the borax. 
In plate 1, A, is shown the effect of borax on the young plants in series A. 
In the foreground the seed was planted in the drill immediately after 
applying the fertilizer, and in the back half of the row the fertilizers were 
sown broadcast. The broken stand is readily discernible in the row 
receiving 10 pounds of borax. The cotton had not been thinned to a 
stand when the photograph was made. The young plants died in spots 
soon after emerging to the surface. In plate 1, B, the surviving plants 
are shown after having made considerable growth. It is seen here that 
the io-pound borax row is much smaller than the control and the 5- 
pound borox row. In plate 2, A, is shown the cotton in series D. Here 
the broken stand in the last row, which has 20 pounds of borax, is shown. 
INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL 
In order to study the influence of rainfall on the effect of borax on 
the crop, the weekly record of the rainfall together with the maximum 
and minimum temperature at the Arlington Experimental Farm during 
the period of the experiments is given in Table II. 
