304 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXVI, No. 7 
plants from each disk were ashed, the ash moistened with water and 
dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and the reaction was noted. The ashes 
were then analyzed for potassium. The experiment was repeated at 
another time. The results of the two series are shown in Tables I and II. 
Table; I .—Results of tests and analyses of wheat plants grown with various nutrient 
solutions (first series') 
No. 
Nutrient solution. « 
Reaction with HC1. 
Potassium. 
Per cent 
increase of 
K ab¬ 
sorbed 
over No. 2 . 
Dry- 
weight. 
Gm. 
Gm. 
I 
Distilled water. . . 
No effervescence. 
O. 0366 
4. IO 
2 
500 ppm. KC1. 
No effervescence. 
. 143 < 
4. 70 
3 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 NaN0 3 .. 
Effervescence. 
.2564 
6. 60 
4 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 Na 2 CO.. 
Effervescence. 
• 1967 
49 
6. 60 
5 
500 ppm. KC1, excess CaC0 3 
Effervescence. 
.2095 
61 
5- 40 
6 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 NaCl— 
No effervescence. 
. 1432 
O 
5. OO 
7 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 NH 4 N0 3 
Effervescence. 
• 2547 
103 
5. 80 
8 
500 ppm. KC1, 5ooNa 2 HP0 4 
No effervescence. 
• 1715 
25 
5- 50 
Table II .—Results of tests and analyses of wheat plants grown with various nutrient 
solutions {second series) 
No. 
Nutrient solution. 
Reaction with HC1. 
Potassium. 
Per cent 
increase of 
K ab¬ 
sorbed 
over No. 2 . 
Dry- 
weight. 
I 
Distilled water. 
No effervescence. 
Gm. 
O. 0362 
. 1766 
. 2901 
Gm. 
4. 20 
2 
500 ppm. KC1. 
No effervescence. 
5. 80 
8. 80 
3 
500 ppm. KC1, 5ooNaN0 3 .. 
Effervescence. 
80 
4 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 Na 2 C0 3 .. 
Effervescence. 
•2553 
56 
7. 12 
5 
500 ppm. KC1, excess CaC0 3 
Effervescence. 
. 2321 
39 
6. 40 
6 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 NaCl— 
No effervescence. 
• T 93i 
12 
7. 28 
7 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 NH 4 N0 3 . 
Effervescence. 
.4114 
l66 
10. 40 
8 
500 ppm. KC1, 500 Na^HPC^ 
No effervescence. 
. 2231 
33 
6. 90 
It will be noticed that, with the exception of the controls, the plants 
had an abundance of potassium always available. The problem became 
three-fold; first, to determine the influence of the different salts upon 
the presence of carbonates in the ash; second, to find whether or not 
the rate of absorption of a basic radical, potassium in potassium chlorid, 
for example, is affected by the rate of absorption of chlorin or some 
other acid radical, such as C 0 3 or N 0 3 ; third, to ascertain what use 
the plant is probably making of the absorbed radicals ordinarily con¬ 
sidered of no value as plant foods. 
By reference to Tables I and II it will be seen that in every case car¬ 
bonates were found in the ash of the plants where sodium nitrate, 
sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate or ammonium nitrate occurred in 
the culture solution. No carbonates were found in the ash of the con¬ 
trols or in the cultures where potassium chlorid alone or in combinations 
with sodium chlorid or sodium phosphate was used in the culture 
solutions. 
