A CHEMICAL STUDY OF THE ASPARAGUS PLANT. 291 



numbered, respectively, 31, 32, 34 and 35 of fall roots, summer roots and 

 the spring crop of stalks. 



The calculated results are necessarily approximate because identical 

 roots cannot be analj^zed at two successive stages of growth, but the com- 

 parison suggests possibilities if not absolute conditions. 



The average weights of roots were obtained from the samples collected 

 in 1910 and 1911. The average weight of the crop of stalks is calculated 

 from the total weights cut on the four plots in 1911. The number of 

 plants per plot was originally 250, but four roots were removed in 1908 

 and four more in 1910. 



Grams of Constituents in Roots and Croj) of an Average Plant. 



Autumn 

 Roots, 1910. 



Summer 

 Roots, 1911. 



Spring 

 Crop, 1911. 



Green weight, . 



Dry matter, 



Total sugar. 



Fiber, pentosans and lignin, 



Fat 



Protein, .... 



Ash 



Total nitrogen, 

 Protein nitrogen, 

 Amino nitrogen. 

 Potassium oxide. 

 Sodium oxide, . 

 Calcium oxide, 

 Magnesium oxide. 

 Phosphoric acid. 

 Sulfuric acid, . 



2,393.00 



504.90 



159.24 



239.22 



8.93 



62.81 



34.78 



10.05 



5.35 



4.70 



12.44 



1.85 



1.81 



.97 



2.34 



3.12 



2,401.00 



447.00 



103.70 



239.10 



7.28 



56.99 



39.91 



9.12 



'5.8I 



3.31 



10.61 



^ 1.63 



1.95 



.82 



1.97 



3.26 



447.00 



34.40 



5.23 



22.25 



1.05 



10.52 



2.97 



1.68 



1.05 



.63 



1.80 



.11 



.13 



.12 



.18 



.28 



The average weight of crop per plot was 238.6 pounds (108.3 kilos) 

 which, divided between 242 plants, gave a little less than a pound, or 

 447 grams, per plant. 



When the combined weights of the different constituents of summer 

 roots and spring crop were balanced against the weights of the same con- 

 stituents in the autumn roots there was noted a marked loss in organic 

 matter and a pronounced gain in inorganic matter. 



The loss of organic matter was confined almost wholly to the sugar, as 

 there was but a small deficit in the quantity of fat. The total carbo- 

 hydrate matter in the spring crop amounted to 27.48 grams, while the 

 difference between the quantities of sugar in the autumn and summer 

 roots was 57.54 grams. There was an increase in protein of 4.7 grams 



