COMPOSITION IK SUCCESSIVE STAGES. 225 



The Total Weight of Crop per English acre, at the 

 end of each period, was as follows: 



TABLE I.Bretschneider. 

 1st Period, 6,358 Ibs. avoirdupois. 

 2d " 10,603 " 



3d " 16,623 " " 



4th " 14,981 " " 



5tlx " 10,622 " 



The Total Weights of Water and Dry Matter for 

 all but the 2d Period the material of which was acci- 

 dentally lost were: 



TABLE U.Bretschneider. 



Dry Matter, Water, 



Ibs. av. per acre. Ibs. av. per acre. 



1st Period, 1,284 5,074 



2d&3d" 4,383 12,240 



4th " 5,427 9,554 



5th " 6,886 3,736 



1. From Table I it is seen: That the weight of the 

 live crop is greatest at or before the time of blossom.* 

 After this period the total weight diminishes as it had 

 previously increased. 



2. From Table II it becomes manifest: That the organ- 

 ic tissue (dry matter) continually increases in quantity up 

 to the maturity of the plant; and 



3. The loss after the 3d Period falls exclusively upon 

 the water of vegetation. At the time of blossom the 

 plant has its greatest absolute quantity of water, while 

 its least absolute quantity of this ingredient is found when 

 it is fully ripe. 



By taking the difference between the weights of any 

 two Periods, we obtain: 



The Increase or Loss of Dry Matter and Water 

 during each Period. 



TABLE lll.Bretschnelder. 



Dry Matter, Water, 



Ibs per acre. Ibs per acre. 

 1st Period, (58 days), 1,284 Gain. 5,074 Gain. 



2d&3d" (19 days), 3,099 " 7,166 " 



4th " (20 days). 1,<44 " 2,686 Loss. 



5th " ( 9 days), 1,459 " 5,818 " 



In Arendt's Experiment, at the time of "heading out," 3d Period. 



15 



