REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 123 
Next, 50 grams of each sample were weighed out, and the number of 
seeds present in this weight counted out, when the ratio of the weight 
of individual seeds was ascertained to be as follows: 
Best Poorest 
one-third. one-third. 
Maize; Stowell’s Hvergreen-. 2-2. s-- cee des aes ses saan wedvctas leeees 1600 to 67 
Maizemimproved, Prolifigs. to 52)-- 2... «<2 Peel Asecetisiaate es-das sees 100 to 67 
Meme mC@ompton’s Mathyoccm sas--. --ceelwecasisnscusssenemcessh- ses 100 to 80 
Pease, Kentish Invicta .----. 2. -- sees eeecdeasacwsds bawadencseoe ca 100 to 7 
erse, uxtra Marly.22- 2. 2.2. - 2. oe ene cckeewcs ewes densasdeessycass 100 to 7 
Beer SUTaL PCdSGu2tae cece ce sea c. pve dabcesasodecscas tee ecesedue 100 to 71 
Pan SPINS So ema a team a beak sclao acca dbeeud dots cbs acess mmasee 100 to 69 
deans, Golden Wax ..-- -2-2. 2-22, 224 cdc ad eses taecas tated seanencs. 100 to: 74 
Beans, Dwarf German Wax 2... 2.4 ceae sede scceaccasssccaseseaccee 100 to 67 
Ret eames We eaten os dane wawacndce swe? eamcw acl on aaa 100 to 71.33 
We have here a difference of from 25 to 49 per cent., averaging 40 per 
cent., between the weight of the individual seeds in the best-and poorest 
thirds. 
An examination of several other samples of maize, pease, and beans 
only shows the difference above observed to be pretty constant, e. g., 
the ratio of weight between an equal number of grains from the first 
and third thirds of nine samples of maize was 100: 60; in six samples 
of pease, 100: 69; in five samples of beans, 100: 64; or an average of 
100 : 63.7 = 57 per cent. difference. 
When we consider that during the period of germination and the 
earlier stages of its growth, until in fact through well-developed foliage 
and rootlets the plant is able to appropriate and assimilate food from 
the atmosphere and earth, its entire supply of nutriment is derived solely 
from that stored up in the seed, the importance of the above difference 
in the amount of that supply of food is manifest. 
It is not improbable that during the critical period in the life of the 
new plant there may result a feeble struggle for existence, upon the one 
hand, dwarfed in its full development, with its power of reproduction 
impaired, and every vital function in marked contrast with that plant 
which has in its early life received a more generous supply of food. 
But another consideration remains, of equal impertance with this 
quantitative difference in the food supply, viz., whether there exists also 
a qualitative difference; and for the purpose of determining this point 
complete proximate and ash analyses were made of several of the seeds 
mentioned, the results of which are given below: 
