74 



CHEMISTRY OF FARM PRACTICE 



hydrates are transported to different parts of the plant, 

 where they lose water, according to the reaction 



The material is then stored in the form of insoluble starch 

 (C 6 H 10 5 ). 



The formation of the proteid compounds (nitrogenous) 

 is more complex, but it, too, is carried on in the laboratory 

 of the plant, the leaves. The rapidity of growth is dependent 

 upon leaf area. This fact should be carefully considered, 

 and too close clipping of grass in pastures should be avoided, 

 because such cropping lessens the size of the factory that 

 is building more grass. 



61. Leaching. It has been shown that some of the 

 plant food may be leached out of the plant into the soil 

 by rains, and may possibly again be made use of by the 

 same plant for the development of other parts of the plant. 

 Hopkins gives the following tabular extracts from Lc 

 Clerc's lectures on this subject: 



TABLE V. PLANT FOOD REMOVED FROM PLANTS BY 

 LEACHING WITH WATER ON BASIS OF PER CENT OF 

 TOTAL CONTENT 



