46 
Colorado Experiment Station 
SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE ASH IN PAFvTS OF WHEAT PLANT. 
» Total 
Fertilizer 
Si0 2 
HC1. Sol. Ash 
Date of 
per 
per 
per 
per 
Variety 
Harvest 
Acre 
Part of Plant 
cent 
cent 
cent 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
None 
Chaff 
13.762 
2.595 
16.357 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
None 
Leaves and sheaths 
7.500 
5.135 
12.635 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
None 
Top section of stem 
1.986 
3.892 
5.878 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
None 
Middle section of stem 
1.401 
3.915 
5.361 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
None 
Bottom section of stem 
1,457 
2,614 
4,071 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
NaN0 3 
Chaff 
9.526 
2.495 
12.021 
Kubanka 
6 
Aug., 1914 
NaNO s 
Top section of stem 
1.156 
4.080 
5.236 
The effect of the sodic nitrate, corresponding* in this case to 
120 pounds of nitrogen per acre, is evidently in the same direction 
as indicated by our preceding* data, i. c., to a suppression of the 
silicon and a relative increase in the amount of soluble ash. 
These results are the same for the later stages of growth and 
even for the ripe plant. 
We notice that at an early stage in the development of the 
plant, the period of bloom, the phosphorus and silicon are higher 
in the plants that received no fertilizer and that the potassium is 
much higher in those which received an application of nitrogen. 
That portion of the ash constituents insoluble in water, but 
soluble in hydric chloric! was not analyzed. It was, however, evap¬ 
orated to dryness and again taken up with dilute acid to see if any 
silica had been dissolved by the hydric chloric!, which was insol¬ 
uble in water. The result in both cases was negative, so it would 
seem that the silica existed in the plant at this time in two forms, 
one soluble in water and the other insoluble in concentrated acid. 
The soluble form is much less in the plants grown with the applica¬ 
tion of nitrogen than in those grown without it. The insoluble 
portion was already deposited in the cell-walls. This fact was 
easily observed in the microscopic examination of the properly pre¬ 
pared ash in which the stomata with their guard cells, the epidermal 
cells, the collenchymatous cells with their thickened angles, hairs 
and other parts were easily recognized. These various cells were 
apparently not so distinct, or heavily built up with silica, as in 
samples taken later. 
It was not at first intended to extend the examination of the 
plants to include the mineral constituents, but the facts already 
stated made it advisable to include these determinations in our 
presentation of the effects of the fertilizers applied. The statement 
of the mineral constituents of the straws does not include the sul¬ 
phur and chlorin, and is to this extent incomplete. These sub¬ 
stances would have been included had we in the beginning* supposed 
that we would have any good reason for considering this feature 
at all. 
