126 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
fect development of these seeds, or to an arrest of their growth before — 
complete maturity, this fact would be clearly manifest upon comparison 
of a large number of analyses, since by such comparison the slight errors 
of analysis would mutually correct each cther, as would also any accidental 
differences in composition; while, on the other hand, any general princi- 
ple tending to produce a difference in composition would the more clearly 
appear. 
« lfuow, for purpose of comparison, we group the carbohydrates of the 
ten analyses previously given, as also the albuminoids, we may then 
compare readily the entire eighteen analyses. 
Representing, then, the amount of each proximate constituent in an 
individual seed from the best third by 100, we have the following results 
representing the amounts respectively of each constituent in the indi-' 
vidual seed from the poorest thirds: 
Percentage of each proximate constituent in the individual seed of poorest thirds, that in best 
thirds being 100. 
2 ee 4 =| | a a = 
fits ok Bia Nig 5 : CMA a = 
in ae gs |_| 2. S| orl S| mene 
| sg | Ss Os we | AS S & ou | as ° 
Constituents. | wep aa i) m3 | = R 4 ca ‘es e 2 
| «2 oF oa of | of s o Se we = 
| SE SA Se al D Q A A ad Ss 
PaP be fae de) ie 3° 108 ee te : 
a | a A | 4 | 4 ov a) A a) 4 
Bape eee |e | sol sa} of | v1. 55 |) 7] so | soe 
“geet ap igh Palme Peed 69 77 70 70 71 65 71.0 
inde eB 68 eae 72 76 77 65 73 68 71.2 
Re ee eS G7 | 57 75 so | 8 78 65 75 67 71.8 
In the same manner, by comparing the full analyses given of the ashes 
of the first ten samples, it will be found that while certain constituents 
of the ash necessarily vary according to the mode of preparing the same, 
those two constituents which are most important, and which are present 
in greatest quantity, viz., potash and phosphoric acid, stand in the same 
ratio as the organic proximate constituents, 7. ¢., the amount of petash 
and of phosphoric acid present in a single seed of the poorest third of 
either of these ten samples analyzed averages exactly 71 per cent. of the 
amount present in a seed from the best third. : 
The conclusion, then, from these results is that the young plant would 
receive from the better seed the same kind of food for its early develop- 
ment and about 40 per cent. more of it than from the poorer seed. 
It is also shown that the entire amount of the several seeds submitted 
to analysis were mature seeds, as, indeed, to the eye they appeared to 
be, differing only in their relative size; but itis highly probable that 
this difference alone would suffice to produce the most marked contrast 
between the plants produced from the better and poorer seed. 
long with these analyses above recorded, it was proposed to conduct 
some experiments in the field, and to this end seeds from each of the 
several sampies analyzed were planted, with the view of determining 
their relative crop-preducing value; but just before the seed began to _ 
set upon the vines of pease and beans a heavy rain drowned out and 
beat down the plants so effectually as to render the experiment almost 
worthless. But throughout the entire period while the plants were grow- 
Ing, a glance would have sufficed to distinguish between those plants 
growing from the better and those from the poorer seed. 
lt is proposed, this coming season, to repeat these experiments in the 
