There is no great difference between the weight of the roots 

 and that of the leaves in the earlier stages of the plant's growth. 

 As a rule, the weight of the vegetative parts increases until the time 

 of flowering, and then begins to diminish ; but the weight of the 

 grain increnses very rapidly during maturation. This reduction in 

 the weight of the stem and leaves, which takes place in the period 

 of maturation, is dependent upon the decrease of dry matter and of 

 water. The fresh stems have the greatest weight, at every stage 

 of development, among all the botanical parts of the rice plant, and 

 its weight increases very rapidly, especially befor the time of heading 

 out, as is shown in the following table : 



Table 5. Rate of Increase of the Weight in the Parts 

 of the Rice Plant in a Fresh State. 



Amount of Water in the Plant when Fresh, 



The absolute quantity of water contained in the live crop is 

 greatest at the flowering stage, and then gradually decreases towards 

 maturity. It may be assumed that the plant needs much water in 



