308 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In other words, with the advance of the vegetative process there 

 was a great decrease in the potash and phosphoric acid and an increase 

 in lime and silicic acid as well as in the total ash. 



According to the researches of Grandeau and Fliche ^ -i species of 

 trees contained the following percentages of ash at different aates: 



Ash content of young and old leaves. 



Old leaves. 



Species 



Black locust 



Birch 



Bird cherry . 

 Chestnut 



The wood of old trees is usuall}^ poorer in ash than that of 3"oung 

 trees. For example, the wood of a beech tree^ 20 years old contained 

 0.46 per cent of ash, that of one 40 years old, 0.45 per cent; one 50 

 years old, 0.36 per cent, and one 220 years old, 0.37 per cent. An 

 oak 15 3"ears old contained 0.53 per cent of ash, one 25 years old, 0.41 

 per cent; one 50 years old, 0.22 per cent, and one 345 years old, 0.22 

 per cent. 



Bretschneider and Matzdorf found the sugar beet to contain on 

 July 20, in an unripe state, 7.31 per cent of ash in the dry matter. 

 With the growth of the beet and the increase of sugar the ash 

 decreased, and by October 16 had fallen to 3.83 per cent. 



The older the plant, or its parts, the greater are found to be the 

 variations in the ash constituents, which is an indication that the stor- 

 age of materials derived from the soil does not take place in the 

 organs of plants at a uniform rate throughout the period of growth. 

 Accordingly the percentage content of such materials as forage plants, 

 for example, may vary considerably" with the time of year. These 

 variations mav be brought about, on the one hand, by differences in 

 the extent and activit}" of the roots in taking up plant nutrients, or, 

 on the other hand, b}^ the migration of these materials from the leaves, 

 stems, etc., to other parts of the plant, where they are held in reserve, 

 increasing the valuable constituents of the latter and decreasing those 

 in the leaves, stems, etc. As pointed out by Fittbogen,* toward the 

 end of the vegetative period a part of the nutritive material in the 

 roots is conveyed to the portion of the plant above the ground. 



IXFLfENXE OF THE SOIL UPON THE ASH OF PLANTS. 



It is evident that in soils of different composition quite different 

 amounts of ingredients are at the disposal of plants, and it may be 



1 Aim. Chim. et Phys., 5. ser., 8 (1876), pp. 499, 500. 



2 Weber, in Wolff's Aschen-Analysen, pt. 2, p. 69; Forstl. BUltter, 1876, p. 257. 

 *Landw. Vers. Stat., 6 (1864), p.' 481. 



