22 



FIELD CROPS FOR THE COTTON-BELT 



called protoplasm. This proptolasm constitutes the life 

 of the plant. It is the center of all the activities that the 

 plant manifests. Quoting from Green, "The protoplasm 

 assimilates the food which the plant requires and carries 

 out all the chemical processes necessary for life. It con- 

 structs the framework of the plant by which it is itself 

 supported. . . Finally it carries out the processes of re- 

 production." 



THE COMPOSITION OF THE COTTON PLANT 



23. Composition. Approximately 90 per cent of the 

 weight of a young, succulent cotton plant is water. The 

 remaining 10 per cent is called dry matter. As the plant 

 grows and becomes more woody, the percentage of water 

 present decreases and the percentage of dry matter in- 

 creases correspondingly. At maturity the plants are about 

 60 per cent water and 40 per cent dry matter. 



TABLE 3, SHOWING APPROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF AIR-DRY COTTON 



PLANTS l 



1 Bui. 33, Off. Exp. Sta., U. S. Dept. of Agr. 



Assumed. 



