In our experiment of 1958 we cultivated Norin. No. 1 in the testing farm of the University of Fukui under our standard method of cultivation. We used a/5, 000 Wagner pots (placing 10 pots in each plot) and experimented with three kinds of soil for cultivation : 1) cultivated soil (clay loam) from the paddy-field of our farm, 2) refined heavy clay (dia. less than 0.01mm), and 3) sandy soil (coarse sand with dia. 2.0-0.2mm.) from the river bed. As basic fertilizer we gave on May 20 3 g of ammonium sulfate, 4 g of calcium superphosphate, and 1.4 g of potassium chloride per pot. Transplanting the seedlings under standard culture (50-day seedlings aged 6.5 leaves, 3 seedlings per hill per pot) on May 21, we then proceeded to give them additional fertilizer, 0.6 g of ammonium sulfate on June (in the tillering stage) and 0.4 g of the same on July 1 (in the early ear-forming stage). Thus our experiment was fed by conducted under our standard cultivation with the use of three elements of fertilizer above-stated, fed by the water of our city aqueduct. Further, in order to produce rice grain, we applied half of the whole volume of fertilizer on those plots with sandy soil and heavy clay, where no fertilizer was given. Then collecting the ripe ears in the whole 10 pots of each plot, we selected unpolished rice grains of standard quality, putting them to quantitative analysis. In our experiment of 1959, in the testing rice-fields of the University of Fukui and the Prefectural Agricultural Experimental Branch Station of Osaka (the soil is CL in both places), we used two varieties Norin No.1 and Yutakasenbon to proceed with the same kind of fertilization experiment as before. For each testing field (0.1 a per plot in 2 blocks) we took standard culture as basis (three elements per plot), going through the same process of selection and quantitative analysis. The results of the analysis showed some variations in different pots, but the property of rice kernel in each plot in Fukui proved soft-textured in its constituent ratio, no plot showing a change from soft-textured to hard-textured rice kernel. In Osaka, conversely, no plot showed any change from hard-textured to soft-textured kernel. We conclude from our experiments that the kinds of soil texture and the three elements of fertilizer in the formation of both soft-and hard-textured rice kernel have nothing to do with the varieties of specimens. In other words, we have confirmed that so far as the minimum amount of three elements of fertilizer is present necessary to produce standard rice grains, the texture of rice kernel is free from the influence of any element of fertilizer and any kind of soil texture.

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We made our pot experiments with Norin No. 1 in the years 1955-56 on the use of nitrogen as basic and additional fertilizer in the following three plots established for this specific purpose: (1) A plot under standard fertilization, established in 1955 (3 g of ammonium sulfate for basic fertilizer given on May 31, and for additional fertilizer 0.6 g of the same given on June 16 (in the tillering stage) and 0.4 g of given on July 2 (in the ear-forming stage), (2) a plot with the total amount of basic fertilizer (given on May 31), and (3) a plot with the total amount of additional fertilizer (2 g of ammonium sulfate given on June 16, 1 g of the same on June 23, and 1 g of the same on July 5). In 1956, the experiment was carried out with nearly the same method as in 1955. Our quantitative analysis of standard unpolished rice grains produced in the above-stated plots showed no difference in the result constantly was the soft-textured property of rice kernel in constituent ratio. In order to compare with our standard fertilization plot, we established another plot where we used urea spraying it on the foliage, once everyday, from the heading till the ripening date. Our experiment on the spraying of urea on foliage was made in 1959 in the testing rice field of the University of Fukui to examine the formation of hard-textured rice kernel. In this experiment, Norin No. 1 was grown under standard culture in standard, plenty or no fertilizer plots, the first date of ear-sprouting being July 23 and the ripening date August 28 for the plot provided with standard amount of fertilizer. During this period, we gave foliage spray of urea on the surface once at 10 a. m. everyday, thirty times in total. In three other plots we gave spraying 1, 5, and 10 times each, continuously after July 23, and studied the constituents of standard unpolished rice grains thus produced. In this test we put 15cc of 1 % aqua solution (pH 5.7 applied as sticker) per hill under 2 block system of 16 hills in each plot. The results of analysis of all the materials thus examined showed some difference in [○!P] and [○!T] among the different plots with increase in [○!T] as well as [○!P], thus producing semi-hard-textured rice kernel, but no formation of hard-textured rice kernel was observed in any plot where we made our experiments. In Osaka, too, in 1959 there was carried out almost the same experiment as in Fukui, and the result was only the semi-hard-textured rice kernel and the formation of soft-textured rice kernel could not be found in any experimental plot contrary.

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1. Thermoelectric method is advantageous in that repeated measurements can be made on the same intact plant either in the laboratory or under field conditions. There is no injury to the plant tissues and the normal physiological processes are not disturbed because all measurements are made externally on the stem. 2. This papar presents some of the improvement of the thermoelectric method that have been recently developed and used successfully. The different applications of the method presented here, and such a device can be used for further studies in problems concerned with the soilplant-water system. 3. The measuring circuit consisted of the modified wheatstone-bridge with a measuring thermistor in one arm and a compensatory thermistor in another arm of the bridge. Then measurement could be done even in the condition when the temperature varied quickly. 4. Over a period of time following an irrigation, water uptake and movement rates decrease as soil moisture becomes less available. 5. When the lodged stem was raised up, it was immediately apparent that high tensions existed within the rice crop because of the increased water absorption and movement rates in the stem. As the internal "negative" or "suction" pressure of the plant was released, the rates of water absorption and movement within the crop became slower as shown in figure 7.

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The authors studied with changes in sugar content in sugar beet plant sown in summer and in content impurities which interfere with the recovery of crystal sugar from sugar beet. The experimental results are summerized as follows: 1. In the sugar beet plant, sugar substance are translated most effectively from October to September and sucrose are accumulated in root rapidly. Then, content are increased a little in blade, reducing sugar and sucrose are increased in petiole, and sucrose content are increased gradually in crown and root of sugar beet. In winter, there are almost no changes in sugar content in plant except petiole. In the next spring, the sugar beet plant are grown again. In this period, reducing sugar and blue number are increased in early spring in root and crown of sugar beet and the sucrose are decreased rapidly. 2. Harmful nitrogen content are increased in winter and decreased in spring. There are no correlation between the content of harmful nitrogen and blue number from winter to spring. Soluble ash content in root of sugar beet are decreased in autumn and in late spring.

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Generally, the crown of sugar beet has not been used for the extraction in beet sugar factory in the world. While, we found the sugar beet sown in summer in the warmer region of Japan has remarkable weight of crown and it has high in content of sucrose. Therefore, in order to know the chemical quality of sugar beet crown and influence topping position in crown upon the quality of sugar beet, we have determined the content of sucrose, reducing sugar, raffinose, harmful nitrogen, betaine and blue number. The sugar yield are calculated by the methods of Stammer and Ludecke. The results are summerized as follows: 1. It has not so difference in the content of sugar, nitrogeneous compounds and soluble ash between crown and root of sugar beet as others harvested in Hokkaido, U. S. A., or Europe. Comparatively speaking, within the parts of crown, basal part of green leaves is poor in quality and part of dead leaves has high in quality. The content of sucrose and other constituents except reducing sugar of the latter part are near to the root of sugar beet. 2. The influence of topping to the chemical quality of sugar beet, comparing with topping at the head line of the dead leaves and topping under 1-2 cm at this line, the latter is higher in quality and very similar to the correct topping. The calculated sugar yield are increased 25-30 per cent as compared with correct topping in the two formulas.

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In this paper described the chemical changes of sugar beet crown and the changes in yield of calculated sugar by the topping position of sugar beet during December to April in the next year. The crown are cut in two parts : first is the basal part of green leaves (A), teh second is the part of dead leaves (B) or is the part of dead leaves without 1-2 cm of its head line (C). The samples were taken 30 or 40 of sugar beet plants in every harvest dates. The sugar yield are calculated by the methods of Stammer and Ludecke as next formula: Sugar yield by Stammer=Root weight × (Sugar content (%) × Apparent Purity (%))/100 Sugar yield by Ludecke=Root weight × (Sugar content (%)-(Harmful nitrogen (%) × 25+Soluble ash (%)×5))/100 On the calculation of sugar yield of sugar beet, Ludecke has used "Blue number" as the "Harmful nitrogen" and so we called it "Direct method" assumedly. In Ludeckes calculation, otherwise, we used harmful nitrogen content by the method of Brown's sugar analysis so called "Indirect method" to compare the direct method. The results are summerized as follows: 1. Chemical changes of crown A, B, and C has tendency of similarity to root during winter to spring in the next year. In this stage, especially, from March to April vigorous changes has taken comparatively in content of reducing sugar, blue number and soluble ash. The difference in content of rucrose, soluble nitrogen, harmful nitrogen and soluble ash of crown and root has high in spring. 2. Topping of B and C are similar to correct topping in calculated sugar content and sugar yield in every harvest dates and have much yield of calculated sugar. The recovery percentage of calculated sugar content to analysed sugar content and the rate of difference of calculated sugar yield in topping B and C to the correct topping are decreased in spring. 3. The changes in calculated sugar content and sugar yield of crown and root of sugar beet has difference between the calculated methods of Stammer and Ludecke or direct and indirect methods of Ludecke.

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The present investigation was undertaken to obtain some information on the mechanism of translocation of chloride ion in rice plants, using Oryza sativa L. ver. Eiko as material. Rice plants which were raised in a water culture, were transferred to 0.2 M NaCl solution for 24 hrs for the saline treatment. The experimental results obtained may be summarized as follows; Chloride ion was translocated very rapidly from roots to shoots of rice plants. A considerable amount of chloride ion was found to be localized in leaf blades, leaf sheaths and stems, while roots contained less amount of chloride ion than that in any other part of rice plants except ears. The accumulation of chloride ion in comparatively younger leaf sheaths was less than that in older ones. Particularly, physiologically active leaf blades contained a larger amount of chloride ion than that in the comparatively younger leaf blades or older leaf blades. It seems very reasonable to assume from these data that the accumulation of chloride ion is vitally important in the metabolism or the physiological activity of the organ of rice plants. When rice plants were transferred to the saline solution, a certain amount of chloride ion was found to be accumulated even in the leaf blades and sheaths, which had already withered prior to the saline treatment. So it seems highly probable that some fractions of the translocation and accumulation of chloride ion may not be directly correlated with metabolism of leaves. Similarly the amount of chloride ion accumulated in leaf blades does not run parallel with that of the transpiration.

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With the purpose of finding some clue as to the relation between salt tolerance and rooting activity, the present study was using Oryza sativa L. var. Eiko as material. Plants were grown on sand cultures irrigated with either a basic nuturient solution (control) or basic nutrient plus 0.3 % NaCl. The experimental results obtained may be summarized as follows: (1) NaCl exhibits a slight tendency to cause decrease in root number, while no definite trends can be observed respecting top length, tiller number, new leaf formation and root length. (2) Fresh and dry weights of rice plants decreased as a result of the treatment with saline solution, particularly root weight was seriously affected. Such salt treatment resulted in a decrease of rice yield by 28.8 %. (3) Leaf withering due to the salt treatment was significant at earlier growing stages, followed by a gradual depression toward later stages; it decreased to a minimum during ear-forming stage which coincided with the maximum tillering stage in Hokkaido. These results suggest that the tolerance of rice plants to salinity is maximum during the ear-forming stage. (4) Rooting activity of rice plants decreased when treated with saline solution. Trends foward increase in length, number, amount (length × number) and dry weight of new roots were recognized toward the ear-forming stage. These facts suggest the assumption that the rooting activity of rice plants is closely associated with their salt tolerance. (5) Ratio of rooting (new root dry weight/top dry weight × 100) was decreased by the treatment with salt solution, however, there is left some room to associated this response directly with the salt tolerance.

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For purpose of finding the method of yield-forecast in paddy rice directly sown, growth and process of grain production in it were investigated under field conditions comparing with those in the transplanting culture, using variety "Mihonishiki" in 1962. The main differences between them were as follows: 1. In the direct seeding culture, the number of leaves on main stem was fewer and the number of tillers per unit area was numerous, but percentage of available tillers was lower than those in the transplanting culture. Secondary tillers in the direct seeding culture were all dead. 2. Rice plant in the direct seeding culture had more panicles but fewer spikelets per panicle than that in the transplanting culture. The ripening of rice grain (yield per 1, 000 spikelets) was about the same, but the weight of 1, 000 kernels in the direct seeding culture was a little lighter than that in the transplanting culture. The relation between the yield and the number of spikelets per unit area did not differ between both cultivation. 3. The area and the nitrogen content of leaf blade of rice plant in the direct seeding culture were both larger than those in the transplanting culture at early stage of growth, but such relation was gradually reversed later on. Light-receiving coefficient in the direct seeding culture was inferior to that in the transplanting culture, but mean photosynthetic ability on leaf weight basis showed no difference between both cultivation. Photosynthetic ability of the rice community under field condition in the direct seeding culture was inferior to that in the transplanting culture at almost every stages except the early stage of growth.

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Through the courtesy of Food Management Training School, Mikawa-Ichinomiya, the author was able to determine of the fluorine content of 279 samples of lowland non-glutions unpolished rice from 38 prefectures of Japan in 1960. We are determinated of Aluminium-Hematoxylin method. The results obtained are as follows: (1) Two hundred and seventy-nine samples of lowland non-glutious unpolished rice averaged 19.963_ppm of fluorine contained. (2) A comparison of different grades showed an increase of fluorine content with deterioration in quality. The smallest amount of fluorine were contained in first class rice samples, and the largest of fluorine in those of the fifth class rice samples. (3) A greater variation in the fluorine contents ws by locality than by variety. The rice samples from Nara and Niigata Prefecture, cancerous districts, contained nearly sextuple as much fluorine as those of the southern Kyushu, particularly in Kagoshima Prefec., non-cancercus distirict. (4) There was a positive correlation at 0.1 % for the level of significance between the fluorine contents and male corrected death rate from gastric cancer in Japan, in 1960, the correlation coefficient being +0.615 of 38 drefectures, and a correration between the contents and female corrected death rate was found positive at the high level of significance.

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(1) The fluorine contents of 171 samples of lowland glutinous unpolished rice varied from 9.00-69.00_ppm and averaged 22.947_ppm. (2) Analysis of upland nonglutinous unpolished rice showed fluorine in 3.00-25.55_ppm and upland glutinous unpolished rice contained from 10.00-42.33_ppm. On the other hand 9.673_ppm of fluorine were found in polished rice samples. (3) From these figures now obtained it was found that lowland rice had more fluorine than upland rice and that glutinous rice contained more fluorine than nonglutinous. (4) With the deterioration of quality the fluorine contents of rice samples varied to the smaller ones. (5) Nineteen samples of imported polished rice had the fluorine contents of 14.11_ppm (non-glutinous short-grain rice produced in Australia)-115.84_ppm (non-glutinous short-grain rice produced in Formosa).

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Size, structure and development of mature leaves of rice plants were investigated in relation to population density and nitrogen fertilization. Leaves of densely-grown plants are much longer and somewhat wider than those of sparsely-grown ones. However, size of shoot apices in the former is rather smaller than in the latter. This contradictory relationship is attributable to the difference in duration of intercalary and ground meristem activity at the "late stage" of leaf development. Yet leaves of densely-grown plants have no "shade-leaf" structure (low stomatal density, expanded venation) so often found in densely-grown dicotyledonous plants. The explanation may lie in the difference between the developmental patterns of leaves in both types of plants. Leaves from plants that received nitrogen fertilizer are longer and wider than those not fertilized with nitrogen. Shoot apices and immature leaves of nitrogen-fertilized plants are always larger. Size of shoot apices, in this case, is directly related tothat of mature leaves. However, observation of the structure of mature leaves indicates that the intercalary and ground meristems of immature leaves also play important roles in determining the size of mature leaves.

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Flours obtained from Japanese domestic wheat generally produces more sticky and weak doughs than those from wheat imported to Japan. Very humid climate at the ripening period of domestic wheat may be one of the causes of this unpreferable trend. So, the effect of a moist treatment was examined on the chemical characteristics of ripening wheat which was kept from rain after heading by covering with glass roof, and the results were compared with those obtained on wheat ripened without covering. Moist treatment of ears brought remarkable increase in free sulfhydril content and the activity of proteolytic, lipolytic, and catalytic enzymes in embryo. Smaller changes in these articles also occurred in both endosperm and bran. In endosperm the susceptibility to papain and the content of non-protein nitrogen increased to some extent. These results for grain were consistent with those obtained for flours from domestic wheat showing weak dough characteristics. The activity ratio of alpha-amylase to protease in the treated sample was influenced significantly by treating temperature. The extent of change by the moist treatment varied with ripening stage of the grain. More serious deteriorations occurred on the treatment at "hard dough" stage, or thereafter, than the earlier stages.

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[in Japanese]

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Shoots of rice plants were designated as "shoot units", each with an apical leaf, a basal bud and upper and lower root zones (see Evans and Grover) and Sharman and Fig. 5). The main shoot of the rice cultivar 'Norin No. 41' consists of 15 such shoot units and of one cotyledonary unit. The cotyledonary unit has one seminal root and one coleoptile (Fig. 9). Five primary roots appear in the first shoot unit after emergence of the seminal root (Fig. 3A). Upper and lower primary roots on a shoot unit emerge essentially at the same time. The time interval for root emergence and leaf emergence of successive shoot units is 3 to 9 days. Leaf emergence is defined as the first appearance of a new leaf from the leaf sheath below. Beginning with the fifth shoot unit, leaf emergence is usually synchronized with the emergence of roots three shoot units below. Lower (basal) roots of a shoot unit are usually larger in diameter than upper (apical) ones. In young plants, full-grown roots of earlier shoot units are not as long as roots of later shoot units. The longest ones are found among lower roots of the ninth shoot unit and they continue to grow for about 30 days, from the time of twelfth leaf emergence to the time of ear heading (Fig. 10). Thereafter, roots on successive shoot units become gradually shorter (Figs. 12, 13). Roots of the eleventh and twelfth shoot unit are shorter, and also produce abundant secondary and tertiary roots which may be aberrant (Figs. 14, 15). It is of interest that growth behavior of upper and lower roots in every shoot unit is so different, suggesting different physiological functions. The process of root system formation in a paddy is as follows. For the first twenty days after seedlings are transplanted, most of primary roots (initiated from earlier shoot units) concentrate above the plow sole (Fig. 1A). Subsequently, roots initiated from the eighth and ninth shoot units penetrate through the plow sole into deeper soil, although the majority remain in the upper 15 cm (Fig. 1C). Furthermore, primary roots appear and elongate until the flowering stage, about 85 days after transplanting. Roots of the eleventh and twelfth shoot units emerge at about the time of flowering and early ripening, and they concentrate near the soil surface. These are called super-ficial roots and produce a net with many secondary and tertiary roots. Throughout the development of the rice plant, the shape of the root system in the longitudinal plane (Fig. 1A-E) is usually elliptical, but the size varies with plant age. For instance, the size during early growth is comparatively small and it increases with time, although it retains the same shape. Roots of the third to sixth shoot units of rapidly growing plants develop horizontally or upward near the soil surface, whereas roots of the seventh to ninth shoot units are positively geotropic and penetrate into deep soils. The roots of the tenth and eleventh shoot unit also grow horizontally or upward near the soil surface. Thus roots of younger and older shoot units tend to be ageotropic. The nature of this phenomenon is the subject of a continuing investigation.

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The studies reported here were undertaken to explore the relations among hardness distribution, the three dimensions of kernel and structure of endosperm tissue with reference to varietal differences of grain texture. 1. Hardness ratio. Hardness distribution of rice kernel is represented by hardness distribution along the dorsiventral line and the lateral line crossing at the central point on the cross section of kernel as reported previously. However, it is more concise and convenient to be indicated by the ratio of hardness of the middle point to that of the central point (Hardness ratio). On the cross section of the kernel of which hardness ratio is less than 1.0, the central core is hardest and hardness becomes smaller toward the peripheral region, and distinct difference can not be found between the hardness of dorsiventral line and that of lateral line. (fig. 1 Century Patna and Zenith) On the section of which hardness ratio is more 1.0, hardness is largest on the middle region and becomes smaller toward the central core and the peripheral region, moreover the dorsiventral region is softer than other region (fig. 1 Asahi, Cody and Yamadanishiki). It is assumed that the former is the characteristic of Indica and the latter characterizes Japonica. 2. Relation between hardness ratio and length-breadth ratio of rice variety. Negative correlation is found between hardness ratio and length-breadth ratio. Regression lines are Y=-0.036X+1.042 and Y=-0.303X+1.603, in Indica and Japonica varieties respectively, neverthless, some Japonica varieties of which hardness ratios are more than 1.18 distribute fairly apart from Japonica line and their length-breadth ratios are 1.7 or thereabout (fig. 2). 3. Relation between length-breadth ratio and thickness-breadth ratio. Generally speaking, positive correlation is recognized between length-breadth ratio and thickness-breadth ratio, but this correlation is scarcely applicable to Japonica varieties (Fig. 3). 4. Relation between hardness ratio and thickness-breadth ratio. There is negative correlation between hardness ratio and thickness-breadth ratio in Indica varieties, yet this correlation is ambiguous in Japonica varieties as well as the relation between length-breadth ratio and thickness-breadth ratio (fig. 4). 5. Structure of endosperm tissue on the cross section. Shapes of the cross sections of kernels vary from round to spindle-shaped according to the thickness-breadth ratios and correspond roughly to hardness ratios as above mentioned (Fig. 5). (1) Cells of the central core. Cells of the central core of A-group (hardness ratio approximately 0.93) are somewhat isodiametric and arranged radially, while those of E-group (hardness ratio approximately 1.20) are uneven and markedly flattened and arrangement of them is disordered. Shapes and arrangement of cells of other groups show intermediate figures between A-and B-groups according to the hardness of central core of each variety. Shapes and arrangement of cells of central core may be affected by the density of strarch in cells, therefore they are correlated with the hardness of central core (fig. 1). (2) Cells along the dorsiventral line. Cells along dorsiventral line are not much different from thme of other region in A-group, but those of E-group are extremely flattened along the dorsiventral direction and arrangement of them is disordered, and those of C-and D-groups are flattened to the extent according to the hardness of dorsiventral line. In Japonica varieties (C, D-and E-groups) starch accumulation in cells of several layers along the dorsiventral line is slightly or markedly insufficient, for this reason, these cells are nattened and arrangement of them is disordered by the oppression of surrounding cells. This characterisic of endosperm structure may be the making of the facts that the kernels of E-group become often white-cored during development and dry kernels of Japonica especially of E-group make frequently dorsiventral

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For the purpose of using rice plants as fodder, they were grown by direct sowing method. On May 21, 1962 the seeds, 1.2 kg per are, were drilled with 21 cm of distance between rows. In the test for obtaining fodder and also grains, which depend upon the regrowth after clipping, three varieties, "Towada", "Ginmasari" and "Kusabue" were used. Clipping was made on July 12 at the height of 5 and 10 cm or July 21 at the height of 5, 10 and 15 cm on heavily fertilized plot (2.6 kg of each of three major elements were applied per are), and at 5 cm height on standard fertilized plot (1.3 kg for three elements). In the second test for obtaining fodder alone, "Tetep" (Indica variety) was grown, and the first clipping was done on July 12 or July 21 at 5 and 10 cm height, followed by the second clipping on August 27 at 5 cm height, being fertilized with 2.6 kg each of three elements per are. In the former test, yield of fodder, in general, showed a reverse relation to the yield of grain. Considering from the yield of both fodder and grain, clipping at 10 cm height on July 21 on heavily fertilized plot showed the best result, giving about 190 kg of fodder fresh weight and about 50 kg of brown rice per are in average of three varieties used. The result indicates that clipping at about 10 cm height on rather later date, without removing the growing points of the plants which have already produced a large number of tillers by dense sowing and heavy manuring, will give better yield both of fodder and grain. In the second test the best regrowth was obtained with 10 cm height clipping, regardless of the date of clipping, and which resulted in the greatest production at the second clipping. Consequently the total production was the greatest, reaching about 650 kg fresh weight per are. Because almost nothing has hitherto been known about such methods of using rice plant as fodder, further studies as to the varieties, degree of sowing density and manuring as well as the time of clipping are required in future.

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