216 HOW CROPS GROW. 
but depends upon the stores of food accessible to the plant 
and the favorableness of the weather to growth. 
The following figures, which exhibit for each period of 
both crops a comparison of the gain in albuminoids with 
the increase of the other organic matters, further demon- 
strate that in the act of organization, the nitrogenous prin- 
ciples have no close quantitative relations to the non-ni- 
trogenous bodies, (amyloids and fats.) 
The quantities of albuminoids gained during each period 
being represented by 10, the amounts of amyloids, etc., 
are seen from the subjoined ratios: 
PERIODS, ~ 
Ratioin ~ 
I. II & III. IV. Van Ripe Plant. 
Arendt......... 10:34 10: 114 10:28 10: 2% 10; 66 
Bretschneider..10: 30 10: 50 10:46 10:120 10: 51 
5. The Ash-ingredients of the oat are absorbed through- 
out its entire growth, but in regularly diminishing quan- 
tity. The gain during the 1st period being 10, that in the 
2d period is 9,in the 3d, 8, in the 4th, 54, in the 5th, 2 
nearly. 
The-ratios of gain in ash-ingredients to that in entire 
dry substance, are as follows, ash-ingredients being as- 
sumed as 1, in the successive periods : 
1: 124, 1:27, 1:16, 1: 238, 1: 19, 
Accordingly, the absorption of ash-ingredients is not pro- 
portional to the growth of the plant, but is to some degree 
accidental, and independent of the wants of vegetation. 
Recapitulation.— Assuming the quantity of each proxi- 
mate element in the ripe plant as 100, it contained at the 
end of the several periods the following amounts: 
Fiber. Fat. Amyloids. <Albuminoids. Ash, 
I. Period, 18°, 20° Io 15°], 279g 299, 
IT %& 81 50 “ 47“ 45 55 6 
lr “ 100 ‘* 85 “* 70“ 57 79 “ 
iv. 100 ‘ 100 “ 92 * 90 “ 95 * 
Vis). 3 100 ‘* 100 ‘ 100 “ 100 “ 100 
