THE SOURCES OF THE NITROGEN OF VEGETATION, ETC. 551 



July 4. — Plants 6 to 7 inches high ; five or six leaves each ; upper leaves only pale 

 green. 



[Drops of water collect as described in reference to No. 1 Wheat at this date.] 



July 11. — Plants 6 to 8 inches high; five or six leaves each; upper ones green and 

 growing a little as the lower ones dry up ; general aspect stationary. 



July 22. — Very little growth. 



July 29. — Plants 8 to 10 inches high, very slender, like mere threads; all lower 

 leaves dried up ; upper ones 1 to 2 inches long and pale yellow. The six plants show 

 twenty nodes. Slight tendency to form very small heads. 



August 10. — Plants quite dried up. 



August 25. — Plants taken up: — 



Six very slender plants, mere filaments, 8 to 20 inches long; with four to six nodes, 

 and six to eight leaves each. Stems zigzag at the nodes ; leaves dried up and brown. 

 The top sheath of five of the plants indicates an excessively small head with zigzag 

 rachis, at the upper part of which is a well-defined husk but no seed ; the lower parts 

 have beards and small rudimentary husks. 



Preparation and analysis as described at pp. 543, 514. 



No. 4. — Beans (1857); two seeds; prepared soil ; without nitrogenous manure. 



June 9. — Two plants up ; one 6 inches high, four leaves with two leaflets each and 

 two large stipules ; the other smaller ; both healthy and vigorous. 



June 15. — One plant 7^ inches high, with five leaves, each with two or three leaflets 

 and two stipules ; the other 3^ inches high, with four leaves and corresponding stipules. 

 Tips of some of the lower leaves slightly speckled, but the upper ones green, and both 

 plants healthy and vigorous. 



June 24. — One plant 15 inches high, with seven leaves, each with two or three leaflets 

 and two stipules ; lower leaves yellow, with dark specks at the edge, upper leaves and 

 stem light green ; the other plant 9 inches high, four or five leaves with two to three 

 leaflets, &c, each; lower leaves as on the other plant, but upper ones greener. Plants 

 appear to have nearly done growing. 



July 4. — One plant 19 inches high; five leaves fallen off within two days, three 

 upper ones remain, these green, appear to live on nutriment drawn from the lower ones. 

 The other plant 12 inches high, seven leaves, and a small sprout just at the surface of 

 the soil ; lower leaves dead, upper ones nearly done growing. 



July 5. — Plants taken up* : — 



Preparation and analysis as described at pp. 543, 544. 



* After removal of the beans, a barley plant from the field was potted with its own soil which was 

 comparatively dry, and placed under the shade without being watered, in order to see whether water was 

 given off and condensed within the glass as freely as in the case of the experimental plants. It was so ; 

 and hence it was concluded that the experimental soils were not too wet. 



MDCCCLXI. 4 p 



