539 



The analyses of the kernels and hulls are taken from the Annual Report of the 

 North Carolina Station for 1882. The samples analyzed were carefully separated by 

 hand. * * * 



[Analyses of the hull ashos showed a] marked difference between the conmiercial 

 sample of hull ashes and the sample burned iu the laboratory, duo to the intense 

 heat of tlie furnaces of the mills, which volatilizes part of the potash [and to admix- 

 ture.s. While the commercial hull ash contained 26.88 per cent of potassium oxide, 

 the sample carefully burned in the laboratory contained 48.75 per cent] . 



Next to the seed the leaves contain more nitrogen than auj- other j)ortion of the 

 plant. They also contain a moderate amount of phosphoric acid and potash. The 

 amount of lime and majfuesia is striking, the percentages of each of these constitu- 

 ents being higher than iu any other part of the plant. The leaves show also the 

 highest per cent of crude ash. * * * 



Although not as rich in fertilizing constituents as the other parts of the plant, the 

 stem is by no means valueless, as it contains nearly 1 per cent of nitrogen, besides 

 phosphoric acid and potash. The wastefulness of burning the stems can readily be 

 seen. * * * 



In their chemical constituents the roots closely resemble the stem. The variations 

 between the percentages of the individual constituents of the two samples of the 

 stem, and the corresponding variations between the percentages of the two samples 

 of roots are almost identical. * * * 



lu determiiiiiig the relation of parts of the plant "350 bolls, containing 

 lint and seed, were carefully gathered and weighed. The seed cotton 

 was then separated from the bolls and each part weighed sei^arately. 

 * * * The weight of the leaves and stems was determined by weigh- 

 ing these parts from twenty odd plants of all sizes grown in different soils 

 and in different seasons (1889 and 1890)." The roots of a number of 

 plants of all sizes were separated from the soil by hand, washed, dried, 

 and weighed. The relation found was as follows: 



• 



Relative weight of parts of the cotton plant. 



The average number of bolls per plant was found to be 13 ; the aver- 

 age weight of one boll with lint and seed was 6.7 grams ; the average 

 weight of a cotton plant, as computed in the table, is 1C5 grams ; the 

 average of some twenty plants, carefully weighed, was 168 grams; the 

 percentage of lint in seed cotton was 31.44 per cent. 



