44 EVOLUTION AND GKOWTH. 



with distilled water, were sown the seeds whose weig^ht was known 

 By a number of preliminary trials, the quantity of moisture which 

 seed of t!te same kind, of the same growth, and taken at the same 

 moment, lost hy drying, commenced in the stove and finished in an 

 oil-hath, ?-t 110" C. (230' Fahr.) was ascertained. The porcelain 

 vessels, in which the experiment was conducted, were placed in a 

 glass houpe at the end of a large garden. During the whole term, 

 the windows were kept closed ; but the sun shone on the house all 

 day. To remove the produce, the vessels were dried by a gentle 

 heat. The roots of the plants then came out readily ; to free them 

 completely from any adhering sand, they were moved about in a little 

 distilled water, but never rubbed or bruised, for fear of loss ; it seem- 

 ed even preferable to leave a little sand adhering. The harvest was 

 then drieii in the stove, so that it might be powdered ; and the com- 

 plete desiccation was effected in the oil-bath in vacuo. 



In ascertaining previously by muneration the weight cf the ashes 

 contained in the seed, that of the produce, freed from all saline and 

 earthy matter, became exactly known. 



Elementary analysis then proclaimed the composition of the pro- 

 duce ; and it was only necessary now to compare it with the com- 

 position of the seed, to have ascertained the proportion and the 

 nature of the elements which had been assimilated during the vege- 

 tation. 



FIRST EXPERIMENT. 



CULTURE OF RED CLOVER DURING THREE MONTHS. 



In the beginning of August a quantity of seed was sown, which, 

 being dry and free from ashes, would have weighed 1.586 gramme, 

 or 24.48 grs. troy. The crop presented a very good appearance ; 

 the clover was from three to three and a half inches in height. The 

 largest leaves could be included in a circle of about two inches in 

 diameter. The length of the roots varied between two and four 

 inches. Dried and bruised, the color of the produce was a deep 

 green. 



The plant gathered quite dry, and supposed free from ash, weighed 

 4.106 grammes, or 63.38 grs. troy ; analysis showed it to consist of— 



In the Seed. In the Produce 



Carbon. 50.8 50.7 



Hydrogen 6.0 6.6 



Azote 7.2 3.8 



Oxygen .36.0 _38.9 



100.0 100.0 



RESULTS. 



Carbon. Hvi1ro?cn. Oxr^en. Azote. 



5M.48 grs. ircy containing after the analysis 12.44 1.466 8.81"> 1.759 

 63.38 " " " ... . 32.141 4.183 24. ir> 5 2.408 



38.90 = grs'. during cultivation .... +19.70 +2.717 +15.840 +0.049 



Thus, in the course of three months, the elementary matter of the 

 4eed had nearly doubled, and the azote of the plants gathered shows 



