266 MAIZE. 



fore eaten. The young stalk cut July 12, gave over 94 per cent, 

 of water. Such food used for soiling without drying would be 

 likely to scour an animal, and give it the cholic. 

 The root at this time (July 12) gave of 



Water ...... 81.026 



Dry matter ...... 18.974 



Ash . . . . . . . 2.222 



Ash calculated dry . . .11.711 



(Ash tastes of caustic potash.) 



Ash of the whole plant above ground, 6.77 grains. Amount of 

 ash in all below ground, 3.93 grains. 



So late as July 26, the proportion of water in the stalk was 

 94 per cent. ; and the ash calculated dry 17.66 per cent. The 

 plant gained 21.36.98 grains in weight in a week preceding the 

 6th September. This was equal to a gain of 12.72 grains per 

 hour. 



The rapid growth of corn plants, when the heat, light, and 

 moisture, as well as the soil are favorable, is truly wonderful. A 

 deep, rich, mellow soil, in which the roots can freely extend to a 

 great distance in depth and laterally, is what the corn-grower 

 should provide for his crop. The perviousness of river bottoms 

 contributes largely to their productiveness of this cereal. A com- 

 pact clay, which excludes alike air, water, and roots, forbidding 

 all chemical changes, is not the soil for Indian corn. 



"When farmers sell corn soon after it is ripe, there is conside- 

 rable gain in not keeping it long to dry and shrink in weight. 

 Corn grown by Mr. Salisbury, which was ripe by the 18th October, 

 then contained 37 per cent, of water, which is 25 per cent, more 

 than old corn from the crib will yield. The mean of many experi- 

 ments tried by the writer has been a loss of 20 per cent, in mois- 

 ture between new and old corn. The butts of cornstalks contain 

 the most water, and husks or shucks the least, when fully matured 

 and not dried. The latter have about 30 per cent, of dry matter 

 when chemically desiccated. 



COMPOSITION OF THE ASH OF THE LEAVES AT DIFFERENT STAGES. 



July 19. Aug. 2. Aug. 23. Aug. 30. Oct. 18. 



Carbonic acid.. 5.40 .. 2.850 .. 0.65 .. 3.50 .. 4.050 



Silicia 13.50 .. 19.850 .. 34.90 .. 36.27 .. 58.650 



Sulphuric acid . 2.16 .. 1.995 .. 4.92 .. 5.8* .. 4.881 



Phosphates . . 21.60 . . 16.250 . . 17.00 . . 13.50 . . 5.850 



Lime 69 . . 4.035 . . 2.00 . . 3.88 . . 4.510 



Magnesia 37 .. 2.980 .. 1.59 .. 2.30 .. 0.865 



Potash 9.98 .. 11.675 .. 10.85 .. 9.15 .. 7.333 



Soda 34.39 . . 29.580 . . 21.23 . , 22.1 3 . . 8 520 



Chlorine 4.55 .. 6.020 .. 3.06 .. 1.63 .. 2.664 



Organic acids . 5.50 .. 2.400 ., 3.38 .. 2.05 .. 2.200 



98.14 .. 97.750 .. 98.187 .. 99.83 .. 99.334 



The above figures disclose several interesting facts. It will be 

 seen that the increase of silica or flint in the leaf is steadily pro- 

 gressive from 13 1- per cent, at July 19, to 58.65 at October 18. 



