364 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. V, No. 9 
the ash of the green straw and leaves decreased markedly with its age. 
The withered leaves and straw thus contain a much greater percentage 
of iron in the ash than the active or live parts of the plants. This would 
indicate that iron, like silica, is not transported or leached from the dead 
tissue to the same extent as the other mineral elements. 
SUMMARY 
Ash analyses of upland rice were made at intervals to show the ash 
composition of the plant, especially in regard to iron content, from an 
early stage to complete maturity. 
The percentages of potash, phosphoric acid, and sulphur in the ash 
of the whole plant aboveground decreased with the age of the plant, while 
silica increased and nitrogen in the dry matter decreased with the age. 
As compared with 103 days, when the panicles were just out, the 
mature plant aboveground at 123 days with the seeds ripe contained an 
equal amount of lime, magnesia, and phosphoric add, slightly more iron, 
sulphur, chlorin, nitrogen, and silica, much less soda, and considerably 
more potash. 
The percentages of iron in the ash of the green leaves and straw 
decreased regularly and markedly with the age of the plant, while the 
percentages of iron in the ash of the whole plant aboveground remained 
fairly constant after the 26-day-old sample. 
Previous to flowering, the percentages of dry matter in the green plant 
and of ash in the dry matter seemed to be influenced by the effect of the 
weather on the growth of the plant. 
