THE SOURCES OF THE NITEOGEN OF VEGETATION, ETC. 577 



Notes on taking up tlie Plants. 



Wlieat taken up December 9. — The four plants all about the same size ; strong, healthy, 

 and vigorous ; ten to twelve long dead leaves each, 8, 10, or 12 inches long, closely com- 

 pacted one above another at their base, and two or three green flourishing leaves each 

 at the top. Roots very thick and matted at the base, extending immediately around 

 in all directions, with short rootlets covered with divaricated branches, filling the upper 

 layers of soil ; not many extend more than 1\ inches down, very few go through the 

 bottom of the pot into the pan, and none ramify there. Soil loose, porous, and moist ; 

 and some water in the pan. 



Barley taken up December 9. — Three plants ; (a) 29 inches high, with a small shoot 

 (second growth) 1 inch long, from the base ; fifteen leaves, two top ones green and 

 growing ; swelled at the top with a head forming ; (5) 20 inches high ; thirteen leaves, 

 upper ones green and growing ; and indications of head forming ; (c) much like (a) in 

 height, leaves, and shoot ; a short air-root from the first node. Roots the same character 

 in all ; branched, considerably matted at the base, finely divided with numerous little 

 divaricate branchlets; only a few extend down into the pan, and they do not ramify 

 in it. Soil loose, open, porous, and moist ; some water in the pan. 



Oats taken up December 9. — Two plants : — (a) with two stems ; one 32 inches high, 

 eleven imperfect seeds, and seven leaves; the other 26 inches high, coming from the 

 second node 2 inches up the main stem, with twelve seeds ; six or eight air-roots 1 to 2 

 inches long, coming from the base node ; a shoot an inch long from the lowest node, and 

 another lower down at the base, (b) A main stem with two long branched ones ; main 

 stem 32 inches long, with five leaves and tefa undeveloped seeds without solid nucleus ; 

 one branched stem, from the third node, 3 inches up the main stem, 14 inches long, 

 with three leaves, still green and growing ; the other branch from the base of the main 

 stem 10 inches long, green and growing ; some air-roots 1 to 2 inches long come from 

 the base of the largest branch, also several from the next node below, one or two of 

 which extend to the soil and ramify in it. There is also another small branch 2 to 3 

 inches long coming from the base of the plant and still green and growing. Roots 

 much alike in both ; considerably matted at the base, little distributed, extending 3 or 4 

 inches in the upper parts of the soil, with many small divaricate branches ; no roots in 

 the pan. Soil loose, porous, and moist ; and some water in the pan. 



Beans taken up December 9. — Two plants, with eight or ten leaves each ; one 9 inches, 

 the other 1 4 inches high ; both dead. The roots of both very much branched at the 

 base of the stem, but not extending deep into the pot, none going down to the flints. 



The Wheat, Barley, Oats, and Beans, prepared and analysed as described at 

 pp. 543, 544. 



