— 88 — 
ularly of the sulphuric acid in the ash of the leaves and of the 
phosphoric acid in that of the roots, which seemed anomal¬ 
ously high, but the correctness of the other determinations 
was more than fully established in this far, that the ash of 
the leaves contains large quantities of sulphuric acid, and 
that that of the roots is next to that of the seed in richness 
in phosphoric acid. The leaves are rich in albuminoids, 
chlorine, and sulphuric acid. We have no where made any 
distinction between sulphur and sulphuric acid, and, though 
it is probable that a large proportion of the sulphur is pres¬ 
ent in the leaves as sulphate of lime, it is certainly not all 
present as such. There are two ways of explaining this 
that suggest themselves to the ordinary mind: either they 
are simply accumulated there, being brought here more 
rapidly than they can be disposed of by the plant, or they 
are gathered there for some functional purpose. The de¬ 
cision of this matter we leave to the physiological botanist; 
but until we learn better we shall continue to think it more 
probable that it is for the functional purpose rather than 
the result of simple accumulation. 
Reference has been made in the bulletin proper to the 
attempt to determine the nitric nitrogen in alfalfa hay. 
1 he reducing agent used was neither of those recom¬ 
mended for this purpose; but was metallic iron in conjunc¬ 
tion with precipitated copper. I have found this a most con¬ 
venient and efficient reducing agent for converting nitric 
acid into ammonia and have given it preference in this 
work. I am not aware that this has been recommended by 
any one previous to this time. I added two grams of crys¬ 
tallized cupric sulphate and one and one-half to two grams 
of reduced iron. As this will give from 13.78 per cent, to 
l 3'&3 P er cent, of nitrogen in potassic nitrate, I deemed it of 
sufficient delicacy to give reliable indications in this investi¬ 
gation and have already given the results obtained. 
All methods not given in this appendix were the con¬ 
ventional methods. 
The fodder analyses were made by Mr. Ryan ; also the 
soil analyses. All others were made by myself. 
We have brought together in the following tables our 
own analyses of alfalfa hay and separate parts of the plant, 
calculated on the basis of dry matter; also all the analyses 
of other stations so far as we have been able to find them. 
Many of these are given in the original publications as 
analyses of hay ; others as analyses of the green plant ; and 
still others in the form here adopted. Of course, all of the 
first two classes appear here in different percentages from 
those in the originals. 
