ANALYSIS OF THE GAT.—NO- 1. 
49 
Table 3. 
Day of the Month received. 
July 23. 
July 30. 
Aug. 6.. 
Aug. 13. 
Aug. 20. 
Aug. 27. 
£ept. 3. 
Per cent of Water, - 
76.05 
75.54 
74.82 
75.29 
75.38 . 
73.55 
70.65 
Per cent, of Ash, 
2.40 
2.54 
2.63 
2.80 
2.90 1 
2.98 
3.14 
Do. calculated dry, - 
10.02 
9.60 
10.44 
10.48 
11.79 
11.27 
10.70 
f 4 oin that in the 
whole straw, these 
trials were made. 
The variation in 
the per-centage of 
water in this table 
is not large. The 
ash is, in accordance with Professor Johnston’s results, larger in quantity than in the straw, taken as 
a -whole. The difference in the ripe plant amounts to 2 per cent. But in Table 2 the ash is given from 
the whole straw , including the knots; the difference therefore between the knots and the straw, taken 
separately, would be at least 4 per cent. The variations in the per-centage of ash, shown by the above 
table, are not very striking. 
Of the Quantity of Ash in the Chaff. —The determinations of ash and water in this part of the 
plant commenced on the 16th of July I must here mention, that by the chaff I mean the outer covering 
which envelopes the oat during its growth, becoming looser as it ripens, and finally falling off during 
thrashing. Per-centage of ash and water exhibited as before. 
Table 4. 
Day of the Month 
received. 
July 16. 
July 23. 
July 30J 
Aug. 6. 
Aug. 13. 
Aug. 20. 
Aug. 27. 
Sept. 3. 
Per cent, of Water, 
55.01 
56.95 
50.49 
45.04 
40.86 
47.08 
40.44 
21.96 
Per cent, of Ash, 
2.72 
3.92 
6.08 
7.83 
iff 05 
11.20 
13.38 
21.43 
Do. calculated dry, 
6.00 
9.11 
12.28 
13.75 
18.68 
21.07 
22.46 
27.47 
The quantity of 
water given by Ta¬ 
ble No. 4, is much 
less, while that of 
ash is much great¬ 
er, than in any 
other part of the 
unripe plant. The 
extraordinary quantity of 27 per cent., as given in the third line, is very remarkable. It is to be ob¬ 
served, however, that in no other specimen of chaff have I found so high a per-centage. The crop, as 
I have before stated, was unusually vigorous, and grown on a deep rich loam, where everything it 
required seems to have been in abundance, and the per-centage of ash in every part is uncommonly large 
It will be noticed that the increase of ash is more steadily progressive than in any of the other parts. 
Of the Quantity of Ash in the Oat. —It is necessary for me here to explain, that, in speaking of the 
Oat, I always mean the seed and husk together. By the Grain , I mean the seed divested of its husk. 
This distinction will prevent confusion. The oats did not become sufficiently developed for separation 
from the stalk until the 2d of July. The same treatment was pursued as with the other parts, and the 
following table exhibits the results. 
During the growth of Table 5. 
this part of the plant, 
the per-centage of water 
steadily decreased to 
considerably less than 
one-half of" the original 
quantity. As in the stalk, 
this has caused an appa¬ 
rent increase of ash (sec¬ 
Day of the Month 
received. 
July 
2. 
July 
9. 
July 
16. 
July 
23. 
July 
30. 
Aug. 
6. 
Aug. 
13. 
Aug. (Aug. 
20. 27. 
Sept. 
Per cent, of Water, 
80.84! 75.56 
69.83 
63.22 
62.06 
62.44 
55.11 
49.761 45.92 
30.74 
Per cent, of Ash, 
0.94 
1.02 
1.17 
1.33 
1.60 
1.62 
1.87 
1.83 1.90 
2.53 
Do. calculated dry, 
4.91; 
4.36 
3.38 
3.62 
4.22 
4.31 
4.07 
3.64 3.51 
3.65 
ond line), but when calculated dry (third line), there 
is an actual decrease. This diminution of ash oc¬ 
curs only in these two parts of the plant. I have 
already given a probable explanation of the cause 
in the stalk, and think that one equally simple may 
be given as to the oat itself. Every one who has 
noticed its growth, knows that the husk, being 
necessary for the protection of the grain, is formed 
first, and attains nearly its full size while the grain 
is yet scarcely visible. A subsequent table will 
show that the husk contains about three times as 
much ash as the grain. During the first growth of 
the oat, this husk, requiring an abundance of in¬ 
organic materials, is to be formed, and we accord¬ 
ingly find such a proportion of these materials pre¬ 
sent, as are not found at any subsequent period. 
When the husk is formed the grain enlarges, and 
as it gradually becomes three-fourths of the oat, 
the per-centage of ash, taking the two together, of 
course diminishes. By reference to Table 2 it will 
be seen, that on the second of July, just when the 
oat began to show itself, a sudden decrease took 
place in the ash of the stalk. The per-centage of 
water in the oats when the crop was cut, on the 3d 
of September, was more than twice as much as I 
have found in those taken from the granary or 
stack-) T ard. 
Heretofore I have only spoken of the quantity 
of ash yielded by the several parts of the plant; I 
now would direct attention to the composition of 
this ash, which will constitute the second division 
in the series. 
Remarkable Instance of the Vegetation of 
Maize. —In the year 1754, a member of the Bath 
Society, England, obtained, while at Strasburgh, an 
ear of Indian corn, which was preserved with the 
husks on until the 28th of February, 1788, when 
six grains were taken from it, soaked in water 24 
hours, and planted in earthen pots, in a hot-house. 
In about twenty days they began to appear, and 
four out of the six grew to about the height of three 
feet, and two produced ears completely formed. The 
pots were taken out of the hot-house the latter part 
of June, and the ears were gathered the beginning 
of October. Six other grains taken from the same 
ear were planted in a garden without soaking, but 
shewed no signs of vegetation. 
