EEPOET OP THE CHEMIST. 93 



importance, the comparative value of fully developed and imperfectly 

 developed seed, under the ordinary condition of moisture, fertility, &c. 



For the purpose of experiment in the field there were selected 32 seeds 

 of the best and poorest thirds of 15 varieties of maize, 50 seeds each of 

 5 varieties of beans, and 100 seeds each of 6 varieties of pease. 



The ■weiehts of each lot were taken and were as follows : 



15 varietieB maize, 480 seeds . 



5 varieties beans, 250 seeds .. 



6 varieties pease, COO seeds... 



Best 

 tliii'd. 



Grams. 

 156.7 

 131.4 

 102. 3 



Poorest. 

 tMrd. 



Grams. 



100.9 

 82.8 

 111.9 



The ahove weights are in the following ratio : 



Maize, best to poorest as 100: 64.39 



Be.aus, best to poorest as 100: 63.01 



Pease, best to poorest as 100 : 68.95 



Below is given a tabulated result of the experiment, although, owing to 

 the protracted drought of the past season, little value can be placed 

 upon the results other than as to the -i^ercentage of seeds which germi- 

 nated and the percentage of plants obtained, for it was found that many 

 of the plants which developed partially failed to survive, and, especially 

 in the case of the pease and beans, the crops reported below were obtained 

 as the residt of a new growth ensuing after the late rains. 



It is also to be borne in mind that these experiments were conducted 

 upon land which, although originally quite unproductive, has been brought 

 by careful cultivation to a high condition of fertility, as may be evidenced 

 by the following analysis : 



Analysis of soil of experimental plot. 

 ' . ' Per cent. 



Moisture.... 1.740 



Organic matter 4.980 



Carbonic acid (C Oj) 200 



Insoluble matter 84.235 



Ferric Oxide (Fcj O3) 2.864 



Alumnia (AI2 O3) 4! 416 



Lime(CaO) ". J635 



Magnesia (Mg O) 400 



Potassa (K.J O) '.'.'.'.'. ilOO 



Soda (Na2 0) ".!!!!!! io54 



Phospboric acid (P^ O5) !"!!1[!I!! !l98 



Sulpliuric acid (S O3) ."! J. .."!]!!. '!!!!! !o24 



99. 846 



Obviously, upon land of such composition and deep tilth the plant 

 woidd find every needed element for its nutrition, and the experiments, 

 before being accepted as conclusive upon other points than those men- 

 tioned, should be repeated upon other soils not so well adapted to the 

 development of the plant after germination. 



Average per cent, plants from seed : 



G pease: Ist 3d, 60.5 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 65.2 per cent. 



5 bean.s: lat 3d, 88.0 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 70.8 per cent. 

 8 corn: 1st 3d, 53.1 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 49.3 per cent. 



7 corn : 1st 3d, 32.0 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 19.4 per cent. 

 Average per cent, seed sprouted : 



6 pease : 1st 3d, 61.7 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 66.7 per cent. 

 5 beans: 1st 3d, 94.4 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 73.2 per cent. 



8 corn: l.st 3d, 58.0 per cent. ; 3d 3d, 55.8 per cent. 



7 com: Ist 3d, 49.6 per cent, j 3d 3d, 34.3 per cent. 



