124 



HOW CROPS GROW. 



oils of a large number of seeds for phosphorus with the 

 subjoined results : 



Source of Per cent, of 



fat. phosphorus. 



Lupin 0.29 



Pea 1.17 



Horse-bean 0.72 



Vetch 0.50 



Winter lentil 0.39 



Horse-chestnut 0.40 



Chocolate-bean none 



Millet " 



Poppy " 



Source of Per cent, of 



fat. phosphorus. 



Walnut trace 



Olive none 



Wheat 0.25 



Barley 0.28 



Rye 0.31 



Oat 0.44 



Flax none 



Colza " 



Mustard * 



It is probable that the phosphorus in these oils existed 

 in the seeds as lecithin, or as glycerophosphoric acid, 

 which is produced in the decomposition of lecithin. Max- 

 well (Constitution of the Legumes), reckoning from the 

 phosphoric acid found in the ether-extract, estimates the 

 pea kernel to contain 0.368 per cent, the horse-bean 

 (Faba vulgaris) 0.600 per cent, and the vetch 0.532 per 

 cent of lecithin. Lecithin is thus calculated to make up 

 19.63 per cent of the crude fat of the pea, 31.54 per 

 cent of the crude fat of the horse-bean, and 35.24 per 

 cent of that of the vetch. 



Chlorophyl, i. e., leaf -green, is the name applied to 

 the substance which occasions the green color in vegeta- 

 tion. It is found in all those parts of most annual plants 

 and of the annually renewed parts of perennial plants 

 which are exposed to light. The green parts of plants 

 usually contain chlorophyl only near their surface, and 

 in quantity not greater than one or two per cent of the 

 fresh vegetable substance. 



Chlorophyl, being soluble in ether, accompanies fat or 

 wax when these are removed from green vegetable mat- 

 ters by this solvent. It is soluble in alcohol and hydro- 

 chloric and sulphuric acids, imparting to these liquids an 

 intense green color, but it suffers alteration and decom- 

 position so readily that it is doubtful if the composition 

 of chlorophyl, as it exists in the living leaf, is accurately 

 known, especially since it is there mixed with other sub- 



