ROTARY CLUB

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 273, 13 July 1932, Page 2

ROTARY CLUB

INFLUENCE OF MINERALS UPON PLANT LIFE. INTERESTING LECTURE. The ftewly elected president, Rotariah J. D. Davys, po-esided over the weekly meeting of the Rotorua Rotary Club held on Monday. The speakwas Mr. N. P. Pitcaithly, M.A., who delivered a lecturette on "The Influence of Minor Mineral Constituents on Plant and Animal Metabolism." Mr. Pitcaithly dealt with' the question of iodine content in the soil and the relation of copper content in the soil oh growth. De stated that increasing attention was being devoted to the iihportance of copper in the soil and its effect on plant growth. Experiments carried out had proved that -copper was present in all plant life, in addition to the major human organs. The speaker quoted the results of McHargue's work on Kentucky blue grass and also discussed McHargue's vitamin theory, before passing on to details of the research work carried out in New Zealand on the distribution of copper in forest trees. Mr. Pitcaithly quot'ed'figiires which proved that the copper was associated in each cdsd with the green foliage of the plant and showed that the plant in some way stored and made use of those supplies of copper in its growfh. He then dealt briefly with the probable relation of copper arid bush Sickness, which now seemed to be the new field for research work on this eontentiptts Subjdct. The speaker referre'd to the effect bf mangaiiese on plant life and shoWed how this'element was ari essential to healthy plant growth.