LIMITING FACTORS TO GROWTH MEASUREMENTS. 353 



with careful records of temperature and humidity of atmos- 

 phere, notes on light conditions, and, if possible, records of soil 

 temperature (especially where this varies considerably). It is 

 possible that with complete records available some general 

 principles of the relation of growth to the environmental factors 

 may be traced, where now results seem contradictory and even 

 chaotic. 



IV.— GENERAL APPLICATION OF THE THEORY OF 



LIMITING FACTORS TO CASES OF GROWTH 



FROM RESERVE. 



THE FACTORS. 

 It seems justifiable from the results given in this paper to 

 look for a general explanation on the fines of the theory of limit- 

 ing factors at any rate in tfie case of rapid growth from large 

 stores of reserve food. It may be useful to outline the general 

 conditions in these cases. The food supply is already present 

 in a quite highly organized condition and in such quantities 

 that the supply is not likely to run short. The following is an 

 analysis made by Shibata (20) of the reserve food supply in the 



rhizome of Phyllostachys mitis. 



Her cent, com- 

 position of the 

 dried material. 



Starch .. .. •• 24-01 



Reducing sugar . . . - • 95 



Non-reducing sugar •• 4-31 



Crude nitrogenous matter .. .. 5* 41 



Fat .. .. 0-61 



Fibre .. .. 4732 



Ash .. 8-74 



Undetermined (difference) . . .. 8*65 



100-00 



Since the ash contains Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, 

 and small quantities of Calcium and Sulphur, it will be seen that 

 the plant contains available within itself all the necessary 

 materials for the building up of living protoplasm. This being 

 the case no cessation of growth owing to lack of food supply 



9(8)06 (33) 



