AMERICAN WHEAT AND CORN. 95 



of phosphoric acid ; but in the dry substance of the grain generally a 

 lower percentage of potash, and considerably lower of phosphoric acid r 

 and also a lower percentage of nitrogen 



They also add : In conclusion, extensive and comprehensive as has* 

 been the inquiry within its own limits, it must be borne in mind that 

 the results relate to the produce obtained on one description of soiU 

 and in one locality only.* Still, the number of very widely different 

 seasons over which the experiments have extended, and the very widely 

 different conditions as to manuring of the different plots, have probabjy 

 provided a much greater range of conditions of growth than would have> 

 been secured had the experiments been made in fewer seasons, on vari- 

 ous soils, and in various localities, but with more normal conditions as- 

 to manuring. Indeed, the conditions of relative excess, or exhaustion,, 

 of the available supply of individual constituents represented in the- 

 experiments, the results of which have been recorded, are probably 

 much more distinctive and characteristic than could be obtained under 

 more normal conditions. On this view it is obvious that, while the re- 

 sults are of a very marked character, and are therefore very instructive 

 if properly interpreted, it must not be without careful reservation that 

 their application to the circumstances of actual agricultural practice- 

 should be inferred. 



THE CONCL US10N OF LA WES AND GILBERT AS VIE WED IN CONNECTION 

 WITH THE RESULTS OF AMERICAN WORK. 



Considering the conclusions of these authors by paragraphs as they 

 are numbered, it is found in the first series of analyses and third para- 

 graph that, " taking high weight per bushel of grain as a fairly good 

 indication of high quality, and vica versa, there was, with each condi- 

 tion of manuring a general and marked but not uniform tendency to 

 lower proportions of nitrogen, of total mineral constituents (ash), and 

 of individual ash constituents, in the dry substance of the grain of the 

 seasons of higher quality. That is, the higher quality of the grain is. 

 associated with the greater accumulation of the non- nitrogenous matters- 

 (carbohydrates) in proportion to the nitrogen, and to the mineral con- 

 stituents which have been stored up." And again, in the body of the re- 

 port the authors remark : " In a very comprehensive investigation of 

 the composition of American wheats, conducted by Mr. Clifford Rich- 

 ardson under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, at Wash- 

 ington, he finds a generally low average percentage of albuminoids in 

 American as compared with European wheats $ and he concludes that 

 this is an indication of inferiority of quality in many cases due to deficient 



* It is true that once within the period to which the results relate there was a 

 change of seed from one description to another not very widely different ; but there 

 is no evidence leading to the conclusion that this irregularity has at all vitiated the 

 comparative character of the results, or the legitimacy of the conclusions that have 

 been drawn from them. 



