21 



ceuised by the transference of protein from these tissues. 



The leaves, stems and grain are rather rich in protein, but 

 the roots contain a smaller quantity of this nutrient. The absolute 

 quantity of protein in the leaves is always greater than in the 

 stems until the time of flowering. However, there is no great 

 difference between the amounts of protein contained in the stems 

 and in the leaves, when these vegetative organs reach their full 

 development. Throughout the plant's life the absolute amount of 

 protain in the leaves and stems is highest either just before heading 

 out or at the time of flowering, and then it decreases towards the 

 plant's maturity, being transferred to the grain. In the period of 

 maturation the leaves lose a greater amount of protein than the stems, 

 while the stems lose more starch, as will be seen later. Thus 

 the stems do not supply so much protein to the grain, as the leaves 

 do to the stems. Consequently, the leaves may be regarded as the 

 main reserve organ for protein before maturation, and the stems for 

 starch. The protein in the roots increases in amount until the time- 

 either of heading out or of flowering, but remains about constant 

 during the later part of the plant's life. 



Glucose, Saccharose, Dextrine and Starch Contents, 



In the present experiments 9 bundles of representative plants- 

 were uprooted at successive stages of growth. Clear days were 

 selected for the collection of the specimens, and the work of sampling 

 in the field was carried out in all cases from 10 : oo to 1 1 : oo A.M. 

 as it is a well known fact that the amounts of some of the organic 

 nutrients in a plant vary not a little at different times of day. It 

 may be interesting to give the results of analysis, which show the 

 variation of some of the carbohydrates in the leaves of the rice plant 

 in the morning and in the evening. About a hundred blades of 

 equally well developed leaves, which' were attached to the third joints 

 from the top of the stems, were collected at 7:00 A, H and 4:00 



