The high percentages of ash and proteids are the sali¬ 
ent features of the composition of the leaves. Using the 
same coefficients of digestion as before, we obtain a nutritive 
ratio of 112.7, a very close ratio and one on which probably 
no animal will do so well as on a wider one. The large per¬ 
centage of ash may have some effect upon the taste of the 
leaves; such is readily conceivable. The ash constituents 
will be discussed later in connection with the fertilizing 
value of the leaves. As the mechanical loss suffered in hay 
making consists very largely of leaves, they play an impor¬ 
tant part in the improvement of the soil observed in such as 
has been to alfalfa for a few years and in the quality of the 
hay. 
FLOWERS., 
The flowers do not constitute at any period in the 
growth of the plant a large percentage of the whole, but as 
their appearance is the sign of the approaching retrogres¬ 
sion of some of the food constituents, or indicates the turn¬ 
ing point in the life of the plant, we have submitted them to 
analysis to aid in tracing the course of development and 
also of the mineral constituents. The water in them is quite 
as much as in the average plant, i. e., 72.69 per cent.; and the 
air dried matter 27.31 per cent. This sample was gathered 
with great care and then sorted, so that there should be 
nothing but the racemes of flowers, without seed pods, ex¬ 
cept very young ones. The racemes taken presented the 
largest number of full blown flowers and probably contained 
the maximum of food stored up preparatory to the forma¬ 
tion of seed. 
COMPOSITION OF THE FLOWERS. 
• 
Moisture. 
Ash. 
Ether 
Extract.! 
I 
Crude 
Protein. 
Crude 
Fiber. 
Nitrogen! 
Free 
Extract. 
1 
Total 
NitrogeD 
Amide 
Nitrogen. 
Air Dried. 
4.46 
9.41 
2.11 
21.83 
19.92 
42.77 
3.413 
.692 
Air Dried.. 
4.78 
9.68 
21.48 
20.08 
3.437 
Water Free. 
9.85 
2.21 
22.35 
20.85 
44.74 
The ash scarcely differs from the amount present in the 
whole plant, but the proteids and nitrogen free extract are 
very much higher; the former seemed probable without the 
analytical results and it is almost evident that they should 
be rich in carbohydrates. The function to be fulfilled 
by the accumulation of these two important com¬ 
ponents does not come within the scope of this bulletin, 
even if we were competent to discuss it, but it is suggestive 
