454 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol.V, No. ii 
This is probably due to unavoidable contamination. It is of interest 
to note that the integument contains 52.72 per cent of the total calcium 
oxid found in the bean; it is also interesting to find that the amount of 
phosphorus and potassium in the integument is very small. It is shown 
that a marked accumulation of the mineral elements in the leaves and 
lower stems occurs during growth. This is more clearly shown where the 
results are expressed as the percentage distribution of the mineral constit¬ 
uents that actually migrated from the cotyledons, as seen in Table II. 
Table II .—Percentage distribution of the mineral constituents of bean seedlings 
Part. 
Part 
No. 
Phosphorus 
as P2O5. 
Calcium 
oxid (CaO). 
Magnesium 
oxid (MgO). 
Potassium 
as K2O. 
Silica (SiOa) 
Cotyledons (ex¬ 
hausted) . 
I 
47* 20 
54-53 
45 - 67 
45 - 07 
40. 82 
Roots. 
4 
7. 68 
13 - 72 
6. 14 
8. 72 
19. 47 
Upper stems. 
5 
5 - 78 
3 - 99 
4. 62 
6. 07 
6. 90 
Lower stems. 
3 
15.00 
18. 51 
16. 24 
12.31 
9 - 45 
Leaves. 
2 
24 - 34 
10. 45 
27 - 33 
27. 83 
23.46 
In the foregoing experiment we have germinated beans, and they have 
grown until they died from the want of nourishment. Prom all physical 
appearances the growth of the seedlings has been normal. This growth 
has been at the expense of the food material stored in, the cotyledons, 
the carbon dioxid inspired from the air, and the distilled water received 
through the roots. Every precaution was taken to exclude all mineral 
matter from external sources. Referring to Table II, it is seen that 
approximately 50 per cent of the total mineral content of the cotyledons 
remained unused and that approximately 50 per cent was translocated 
to different parts of the seedlings during growth. As might be expected, 
the greatest quantity of these elements migrate to the leaves and the 
next greatest quantity locate in the lower stems. The large amount of 
calcium and silica locating in the roots is also of interest. 
These results serve to emphasize the importance of the mineral matter 
both to the seedlings and to the sprouting seed or cotyledon. In other 
words, it would seem from these results that the mineral matter originally 
present in the seed or in the cotyledons functions in the act of sprouting 
in two different ways: First, to promote the enzymic changes occurring 
in the sprouting cotyledons and seeds themselves; and, in the second 
place, to support the growth and development of the seedlings. The 
growth will therefore depend somewhat at least on the total mineral 
matter originally present in the cotyledons or seeds, a part of this being 
translocated to meet the requirements of the growing seedling. Approx¬ 
imately an equal part or, at any rate, a relatively large amount of the 
mineral matter remains in the seed or cotyledon to support and promote 
those enzymic changes characteristic of the seed or cotyledon in an 
active katabolic condition. 
