1886.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 



93 



A comparison of the ash constituents of the leaves and of 

 the stems of the mistletoe shows but a very slight diflFereuce ; 

 whilst those of both, compared with those of the apple wood 

 they had grown on, show a marked difference in potassa, 

 lime, phosphoric acid and magnesia. The ash of the para- 

 site contains six times more potassa, five times more phos- 

 phoric acid, and four times more magnesia than that of the 

 wood of the apple-tree; the latter, on the other hand, con- 

 tains two and one- half times more lime than the former. 



A serious influence of the growth of the parasite on the 

 normal condition of the tree can scarcely be doubted. 



Cranberry . 



The specimens of the cranberry which served for this test 

 were furnished by parties engaged in their growth and de- 

 siring to know the relative proportion of the essential ele- 

 ments of plant food, for the purpose of determining what to 

 return to the soil. 



The analysis is republished in consequence of frequent in- 

 quiries. 



The following tables give the analyses of the fruit two 

 weeks after harvesting. One hundred air-dry weight parts 

 contained : — 



No cane sugar was found ; the acid, probably, was of two 

 kinds, — citric acid or the acid of the lemon, and malic acid 

 or that of the apple. 



