Rumex Crispus — Yellow Dock. 
407 
In an agricultural light, this may be considered as a very 
exhausting plant to the soil — as the analysis will show — if re- 
moved every y^ar from it. The ash of all parts of the plant is 
made up principally of phosphates and alkalies, with con- 
siderable chlorine. The root and stalk contain a respectable 
quantity of sulphuric acid, while the leaf blades, seeds, pedicels, 
and petioles, contain but little. The root is rich in magnesia, 
while but a moderate quantity is found in other parts. 
About one-fifth of the dry matter of the root is starch. Calling 
the extractive matter a nitrogenous body, from 30 to 40 per cent 
of the dry matter of the whole plant consists of nitrogenous com- 
pounds. Excluding this amorphous body, from 12 to 17 per cent 
is nitrogenous. 
Comparative View of the Water, Inorganic, and Organic Matter, of different 
Palis of the Plant, ivith the Ratio of the Parts ; Plant taken when Seeds 
ivere in their Milk. 
Fresh plant. 
Same plant de- 
prived of water. 
Parts of plant. 
Petioles, , 
Leaf blades, 
Stalks 
Root, 
Seeds, pedicels, and ca'yces, 
Medulla of root, 6.40 
Cortical Iayer& epidermis of root, 52'00 
Woody portion of root 141 • 60 
14-409 
34-582 
•25-649 
17-291 
8-069 
94-66 
85-70 
83-80 
79-363 
77-060 
1-03 
2-18 
1-48 
1-321 
•760 
o S 
4-31 
12-12 
14.72 
19-316 
22-180 
19-288 
15-245 
9-512 
6-401 
O g 
SO-712 
84-755 
90-488 
93,599 
3-31396-687 
78-225 1-747 
70-809 1-398 
72-7791 1-139 
20 028 1 8-024I91-976 
•27-793 4-789i95-211 
26-0821 4-184'95-816 
In the plant deprived of water — at this stage of its growth — 
the petioles stand first in the amount of inorganic matter, the leaf 
blades second, the stalks third, the roots fourth, and the seeds, 
pedicels and calyces contain the smallest proportion. In the fresh 
plant the proportion of inorganic matter is greater in the leaf 
blades, stalk and root than in the petioles. It will be seen that 
in the root, the pith contains nearly twice as much ash as either 
of the other parts, the cortical layer stands next, and the woody 
portion has the least. The woody layer, into which the rootlets 
discharge themselves, is filled with large ducts arranged between 
the medullary rays for transmitting the juices of the plant. 
The petioles contain, besides about one per cent of oxalic acid, 
a small amount of tartaric, and tannic acids; the root has a 
slight quaiitity of acetic, tartaric, and gallic acids, with con- 
siderable tannic acid. The tannic acid is that variety which 
gives with the salts of the peroxide of iron a greenish color. 
