THE ASH CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS. 



313 



may ))c noted. Pots containing equal aniount.s of soil, fertilizer, and 

 moisture were planted with 1, 5, and 8 kernels, respectively, Avith the 

 following results: 



Yields of wheat and oats at different thicknesses. 



The 3aeld from the 1 kernel alone was relatively much greater than 

 that from 5 or 8 kernels, and the same was true of the total ash. The 

 percentages of total ash in the grain, and of potash, phosphoric acid, 

 and lime in the ash were as follows: 



Ash of wheat and oats grown at different thicknesses. 



It is thus seen that there are great differences in plants grown singlv 

 as compared with 5 or 8 grown together in similar pots. 



Atterberg^ made a similar experiment with oats, and found that by 

 thicker sowing and larger yield the percentages of potash and phos- 

 phoric acid fluctuated, while that of nitrogen was less than with thin- 

 ner seeding. The nitrogen content of the straw was as follows: Thin 

 seeding O.W per cent, average seeding 0.88 per cent, and thick seeding 

 0.68 percent. Beseler and Maercker^ found that increasing the thick- 

 ness of the seeding had a similar influence in lessening the nitrogen 

 content of oat grains. It is well know^n that the sugar content of sugar 

 beets is much influenced by thick and thin planting, and this is also 

 true of the ash constituents. 



INFLUENCE OF AVAILABLE MOISTURE ON THE ASH. 



In addition to the effect of soil, fertilizer, and thickness of seeding 

 on the composition of the ash of plants, there are other factors at work. 



Mour. Landw., 49 (1901), p. 97. 



HVntbl. Agr. Chem., 13 (18»4), p. 453; Ztschr. Lan<hv. Cent. Ver. Sachsen, 1S84. 

 Nos. 4, 5. 



