Feb. is, 1921 



Composition of Sunflower and Com Plants 



789 



was weighed out, from which the alcoholic extract of the pulp was pre- 

 pared according to the method described by Swanson and Tague (6). 

 Aliquot portions of the alcoholic extract were used to determine total 

 and reducing sugars according to the gravimetric cuprous-oxid method 

 of Walker and Munsen (7, p. 241). 



Moisture was determined on a 5-gm. sample of the pulp by drying to 

 constant weight in a reduced pressure water- jacketed oven. The 

 subsample dried in the steam closet was ground to pass a 40-mesh sieve, 

 and starch was determined on the air-dry sample by the diastase method 

 with subsequent acid hydrolysis (1, p. no). 



Tables I and II give the results of the chemical work on the whole 

 plants. The figures for total protein, albuminoid protein, reducing 

 sugars, nonreducing sugars, and starch are based on the dry matter. 



Table 1.— Composition of sunflower plant at different stages of growth 



Stage of maturity. 



3 feet high 



6 feet high 



First flower 



Rays ready to fall . . . 



Rays dry and partly 

 fallen 



Rays all fallen 



Seeds hard and ma- 

 ture 



Moisture 

 in fresh 

 material. 



Per cent. 

 84.87 

 86.02 

 84. 09 

 83.90 



75-58 

 74-37 



69.68 



Dry 

 matter. 



Per cent. 



15- 13 

 13.98 



I5-9I 

 16. IO 



24. 42 

 25-63 



30-32 



Moisture-free basis. 



Total 

 protein. 



Per cent. 



8-59 



8.01 

 7.04 

 9.44 



6.80 

 7-°3 



5-9° 



Albumi- 

 noid 

 protein. 



Per cent. 

 8.00 



7-37 

 6-35 



6. 22 

 6. 09 



5-°4 



Reducing 

 sugars. 



Per cent. 

 12.36 

 18.95 

 15.96 



J 3-23 



8.96 

 6.99 



4- 15 



Non- I 

 reducing Starch, 

 sugars. I 



Per cent. 



19. 08 



15- 03 



8-43 



3.01 



I. 40 

 .8 9 



1.47 



Per cent. 

 O.63 

 4. 6l 



4-34 

 . 20 



1.66 

 1. 90 



Table II. — Composition of com plant at different stages of growth 



Stage of maturity. 



3 feet high 



4K to 5 feet high. . . 



Just tasseling 



Just silking 



Kernels forming 



Milk stage 



Silage stage (one- 

 half milk, one-half 

 glazed) 



All glazed 



Ready to shock 



Moisture 

 in fresh 

 material. 



Per cent. 

 84.21 

 85.14 

 81.65 

 81.56 

 8l. 20 

 77.60 



68.69 

 64. 22 



59-79 



Dry 



matter. 



Per cent. 



15- 79 

 14.86 



18.35 

 18.44 

 18.80 

 22. 40 



3i-3i 

 35-78 

 40. 21 



Moisture-free basis. 



Total 

 protein. 



Per cent. 



II. 14 



9.42 



9.90 



8-95 

 8.99 

 8.97 



7-3i 

 6.32 

 7.09 



Albumi- 

 noid 

 protein. 



Per cent. 

 IO. 26 

 8. 14 

 6-59 

 6-73 

 6.38 

 6.30 



6.23 

 5.62 

 6. 14 



Reducing 



sugars 



Per cent. 

 14. 69 

 16. 69 



13- 13 

 18.23 

 20.37 



J7-59 



10.03 

 8. 50 



7.71 



Non- 

 reducing 



sugars. 



Per cent. 

 2-73 



3- 2 3 

 1-85 

 1.30 

 5-44 

 4-5 1 



2.81 



39 



73 



Starch. 



Per cent. 



1.52 



1.66 



1. 29 



.86 



3-45 

 2.87 



24. 00 

 24. 78 

 21. 66 



