The Food of Plants. 351 
strawberry contains from 0.41—0.63 per cent. of ash, and 
this includes. 
DATA ROSS OE OS eee ES Cet San ote 40.24 
EL ca oclci ce Strela or siaieia aie aes ees biseretprers 2 3223 
PE RYTLE ee ISS cea o Ee weg whe Biree tere: clove Moya oN tersintovevereets 13.47 
WONG ti ld esha ess 2 ya eye ie spain va cvsn'e “ole a1 =.0|sieyb/e\ sais 8.12 
ERA eos «Al Ga hae SIS BES Se SO RA See Sane 1.74 
BOR ACT oan cc er ere late ietel cereale occielerlel slatelela stele craters 18.50 
STV SAY oyster fop sais be a eretazasss lavoro: Po ions mie ateteis “switche cibiedoysterer ete 5.66 
A comparison of these figures shows that under the ordin- 
ary conditions of cultivation, the plant utilises much less 
silica, iron and soda, but makes greatly increased demands 
upon potash, magnesia, and phosphoric acid. In view of 
these facts, it can hardly be doubted that these elements are 
essential to a higher state of development, more especially 
as we observe that when the conditions of cultivation are 
reduced and the supply of these elements is diminished, 
the plant reverts to its original condition, both with reference 
to its general characteristics and the chemical constitution of 
its ash. These changes may be regarded as effected slowly, 
as in the ordinary transition from the wild to the cultivated 
forms. Let us now see how the special application of food 
will influence a similar result. An exhaustive statement of 
the results obtained by Goessmann cannot be made here, 
but the following are the essential facts. 
Observations were made upon the Concord Grape as a 
cultivated variety, and upon the Vitis labrusca as the wild 
species from which the Concord originated. In each case 
certain plants were grown without special fertilisers, while 
others were treated with fertilisers of three separate com- 
binations. With these latter we will not deal separately, 
as we desire now to discuss only the general results. 
The ash of the Concord Grape was found to contain when 
unfertilised 
Sept. 13. 
PAOD IEA cig aiidie ale a iarigielsiy yrsidG lela Wage t cleaves 57.15 
POLS MEER Seite e ie cided cial de. ciele a) bial eissdiainta la aibie tidiere's 4.17 
DN RUE oe pilblats Here o ble cise ida sidtdidica slant setbiosilalne 11.30 
Rs OH ia dete otbeebr> eeiat ones wecdaess 3.10 
2 PRES ee pal Ni ne pe ia a 0.40 
Brie Eat g a tree ey oinis aieeiy ora'e siccalrim wane sels vne at) LOTT 
PAU TMID e Ease hie ch cbba boii piv dm cick ew ole dacsreda's 11.83 
25 
