PRESERVATION OF FORAGE 



35 



only at the roots so as not to wet the foliage. Some of 

 these plants blighted so that the whole plant slowly died, 

 or else the tips of the leaves were killed. Analyses of 

 the dead leaf tips showed that they were always poorer 

 in nitrogen and potash than the living basal portions. 

 Other analyses of these dying plants showed that the lower 

 nodes of the stem, whether dead or alive, were always poorer 

 in nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash than the upper ones, 

 which would not be the case if the movement were down- 

 ward. From these observations, the conclusion is drawn 

 that on ripening the salts held in the sap of the plants have 

 a tendency to migrate from the dying to the living tissue ; 

 and that the migration is upward and not downward. 



In another series of experiments, a whole barley plant 

 at the heading stage was soaked in a dish of distilled water 

 for several minutes and lost 1.6 per cent of its nitrogen 

 content, 36 per cent of its phosphoric acid and 65 per 

 cent of its potash. A pot of rice plants before the heads 

 were mature was tilted over a dish and the tops sprayed 

 with about 2^ quarts of water, imitating somewhat the 

 action of rain. Analyses made both of the ash of the plant 

 and of the teachings showed that the artificial rain had 

 removed salts from the plant. 



Wheat plants in bloom and fully ripe were washed in 

 distilled water five to ten minutes, and both the plants 

 and the water analyzed. The percentage losses of mineral 

 substances were as follows: 



