ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS. 19 



in the case of wheat seedlings. The results show, nevertheless, that 

 in 15 days, in the case of ordinary beans, 80 per cent of the nitrogen, 

 84 to 90 per cent of the potash, and 70 to 75 per cent of the phosphoric 

 acid are removed from the endosperm, again indicating the greater 

 mobility of the potash. 



ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS. 



Comparatively little work has been done on the changes in the 

 organic constituents during the first two weeks of the seedling's life, 

 except that of Andre", Dele"ano, De Chalmot, and others, of which 

 mention has already been made. The same solutions were used in 

 growing these seedlings as in the case of the preceding study on the 

 inorganic constituents (see p. 9), and in addition the following were 

 also employed : Complete solution less nitrate ; complete solution less 

 phosphoric acid; complete solution less potash. 



The resultant crops were separated at regular intervals of a few 

 days into axes and residual seeds, each portion being analyzed for 

 ether extract, fiber, pentosans, and sugars before and after inversion. 



The 100 original seeds weighed 3.5 grams and contained 0.069 gram 

 of ether extract, 0.079 gram of fiber, 0.256 gram of pentosans, and 

 0.095 gram of sugar after hydrolysis. 



CRUDE FAT. 



Referring to the weights given in Table 6, the residual seeds of the 

 seedlings grown in the control solution are seen to contain on the 

 average from 60 to 67 per cent of the original crude fat of the seed, 

 thus indicating that this amount of nonembryonic crude fat is not 

 absorbable by the plant. 



Comparing these amounts with those found in the residual seeds of 

 plantlets grown in the complete nutritive solution and in the solutions 

 containing but one plant food constituent, very small differences are 

 noted, as follows: The average amounts of nonembryonic crude fat 

 remaining after 15 days' growth in the seedlings started March 29 

 were as follows : Grown in the control solution 60 per cent, in potash 

 solution 62, and in phosphate 65 per cent. Those started on April 11, 

 in control solution 68, in nitrate 60, and in complete solution 60 per 

 cent. The difference in the season of growth accounts for the differ- 

 ences in the figures given, as it is impossible to have all the conditions 

 affecting growth the same at different times. However, inasmuch as 

 the control seedlings in Table 6 give about the same data for ether 

 extract as the potash and phosphate seedlings or those grown in the 

 nitrate and complete solutions, it is plainly indicated that the presence 

 of plant food exerts but little influence on the decomposition and 

 translocation of the fat material from the seed to the axes. The 

 average amount of nonembryonic fat in the seed is thus seen to be 



