PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. 



177 



all that can be said is that, owing to the discrepancy between 

 the amount of that compound found at this and the other stages, 

 the result must be open to doubt. Fortunately peroxide of iron 

 is a substance of minor importance, in a practical point of view, 

 and the discrepancy in it is of comparatively little, moment. 

 The quantities of all the other mineral matters at this stage are 

 nearly proportionate to the weight of the plants. They have 

 increased to about three times their previous weight, and the. 

 addition to each of the inorganic elements is nearly in the same 

 proportion. 



4th Stage, 1st September, 1864. 



The progress of the crop during this stage was much less 

 rapid than in the previous one. The weather was unfavourable, 

 and accordingly we find that the plants had attained a height of 

 43 inches only — being an increase of 6 inches in place of 19, 

 which they gained between 1st July and 1st August. The 

 flowers had entirely disappeared, while the pods had made great 

 progress, and the beans had in some cases begun to form within 

 them. The increase in weight of the crop was almost entirely 

 confined to the stalks and pods — the former weighing a half 

 more than they did at the 1st August, and the latter about 

 eleven times as much. The leaves had somewhat diminished in 

 weight, a few of them having begun to deca3 r . A hundred 

 plants now weighed in grains : — 



Eoots, 

 Stalks, 

 Leaves, 

 Pods, 



Or in lbs. per acre : — 



Eoots, 

 Stalks, 

 Leaves, 

 Pods, 



The proximate analysis gave — 



•24,500 



155,840 



61,440 



58,000 



299,740 



3,500-00 

 22,265-71 



8,777-14 

 8,285-71 



42,828-56 



Water, 



Albuminous compounds, 



Other organic matters, 



Ash, 



Roots. 



80-56 



2-87 



15-13 



1-44 



Nitrogen, 



100-00 

 0-46 



Stalks. 

 85-02 



2-06 

 12-22 



0-70 



100-00 

 0-33 



Leaves. 



87-17 

 5-31 

 6-34 

 1-18 



100-00 

 0-85 



Pods. 



87-97 

 3-75 

 7-61 

 0-67 



100-00 

 0-60 



And the same, when calculated dry, gave- 



M 



