THE ASH OF PLANTS. 



tions of ash in dry matter, yielded bol 

 plant and by the several organs or parts. v ^ 



The following results, obtained by Norton, on the oat, 

 illustrate this variation. Norton examined the various 

 parts of the oat-plant at intervals of one week &quot; 

 its entire period of growth. He found: 



Leaves. Stem. Knots. Chaff. Grain unhusked 



June 4 10.8 10.4 



June 11 10.7 9.8 



June 18 9.0 9.3 



June25 10.9 9.1 



July 2 11.3 7.8 .. .. 4.9 



July 9 12.2 7.8 .. .. 4.3 



July 16 12.6 7.9 .. 6.0 3.3 



July 23 16.4 7.9 10.0 9.1 3.6 



July 30 16.4 7.4 9.6 12.2 4.2 



Aug. 6 16.0 7.6 10.4 13.7 4.3 



Aug. 13 20.4 6.6 10.4 18.6 4.0 



Aug. 20 21.1 6.6 11.7 21.0 3.6 



Aug. 27 22.1 7.7 11.2 22.4 3.5 



Sept. 3 20.9 8.3 10.7 27.4 3.6 



Here, in case of the leaves and chaff, we observe a con 

 stant increase of ash, while in the stem there is a constant 

 decrease, except at the time of ripening, when these rela 

 tions are reversed. The knots of the stem preserved ,a 

 pretty uniform ash-content. The unhusked grain at first 

 suffered a diminution, then an increase, and lastly a de 

 crease again. 



Arendt found in the c/at-plant fluctuations, not in all re 

 spects accordant with those observed by Norton. Arendt 

 obtained the following proportions of ash : 



Here we see that the ash increased in the stem and in 

 sach of its several parts after the first examination. The 



