Mar. 15,1924 
Elemental Composition of the Corn Plant 
857 
the stand per acre, the weight of dry matter remaining in the stubs would 
be 386 pounds. The total weight of dry matter left in the field by the 
stubs and roots amounted, according to these estimations, to 1,211 
pounds per acre, or approximately 10.6 per cent of the total dry matter 
produced. The total dry matter produced per acre, exclusive of the 
roots and the stubs 1 foot in height, amounted to 10,178 pounds per acre. 
This yield of dry matter of the stems, leaves, and ears of the com plant 
is considerably higher than that reported by other investigators, but it 
is difficult to make comparisons since in some cases the variety of com 
grown and the height of the stalks when cut at harvesting were not stated. 
Ladd (6) reported a yield of 7,918 pounds of dry matter per acre for the 
King Phillip variety at the Geneva (N. Y.) Agricultural Experiment 
Station, but did not mention how much of the stalk was left on the stub. 
Smith ( 11) obtained a yield of 8,020 pounds of dry matter per acre at the 
Michigan Experiment Station, but no record of the variety used or 
the method of harvesting is given. Schweitzer (10) at the Missouri 
Experiment Station considered 6,528 plants to the acre and estimated 
the total yield of dry matter at 7,892 pounds, but neglected to state 
the variety of com used. Jones and Huston (5) estimated the yield 
of dry matter of Riley's Favorite grown at the Indiana Experiment 
Station at 9,412 pounds when the plants were harvested at the surface of 
the ground and when 10,000 plants were considered as the stand per acre. 
Ince (4) states that the average yield of dry matter of the ears, stems, 
and leaves of numerous varieties of corn grown at the North Dakota 
Experiment Station was 6,130 pounds, but he does not mention how 
much of the stalk was left on the ground in harvesting. 
The estimated weight in pounds of the elements removed per acre from 
the soil and the air by the entire com plant and by each of the several 
organs or parts is shown in Table VII. 
Table VII .—Estimated weight in pounds of the elements removed per acre from the air and 
soil by 6,200 Pride of Saline corn plarrUs grown at Manhattan, Kans., in IQ20 
Weight in pounds of the elements in— 
Element. 
j 
R °° ts - 
i 
Aerial 
parts. 
Stubs 
1 foot 
high. 
Roots 
and 
stubs 
1 foot 
high. 
Grain. 
Cobs. 
Cobs 
and 
grain. 
Leaves. 
Stems. 
Carbon. 
4.967.55 j 349.04 
4.618.51 
171. 59 
520. 63 
1,592.06 
487.90 
2,079.96 
1,320.62 
1. 217. 91 
Oxygen. 
5,066.17:359.55 
4,706,62 
169. 27 
528.82 
1,612.65 
489.40 
2,102.05 
1,403.41 
1,201.13 
Hydrogen. 
711.60 ; 47.19 
664.41 
22. 64 
69.83 
247.83 
67. 79 
315.62 
187.41 
161.36 
Nitrogen. 
166.27 10. 50 
155 - 77 
3. 22 
13- 72 
76. 52 
14 * 73 
9 x. 25 
41.60 
22.91 
Phosphorus. 
2 3 - 15 ! -98 
22. 17 
.04 
1.02 
12.09 
1. OI 
13-10 
6.63 
2.42 
Potassium. 
104. 74 3. 95 
100. 79 
4 - 74 
8. 69 ! 
14. 86 
4.89 
19 - 75 
47 - 33 
3369 
Calcium. 
25.82 5.03 
20. 79 
.65 
5-68 | 
.89 
•23 
1.12 
15- 02 
4 - 65 
Magnesium. 
20. 80 1. 40 
19.40 
. 61 
2. 01 j 
7.12 
1. 17 
8. 29 
6. 72 
4-37 
Sulphur. 
19.31 2.06 
17.25 
. 61 
2. 67 ; 
4. 98 
. 22 
5. 20 
7.68 
4*37 
Iron. 
9. 74 4 - 30 
5-44 
. 19 
4-49 : 
x. 52 
. 26 
1. 78 
2. 23 
1.41 
Silicon. 
133 - 07 36. 70 
96. 37 
1. 61 
38.31 i 
• 42 
I.42 
1.84 
82.93 
II. 45 
Aluminum. i 
! 12.19 8. 09 
4. 00 
.05 
8. 14 ; 
.81 
• 56 
x -37 
2. 37 
•35 
Chlorin. 1 
| 16. 59 • 90 
15.69 
.84 
i- 74 : 
1. 17 
1. 28 
2. 45 
7.11 
6.12 
Manganese. 
3 - 67 • 55 
3. 12 
.07 
. 62 
1. 30 
•32 
1. 62 
1. 02 
.46 
These results were obtained by multiplying the weight of each of the 
different elements in the different organs, as shown in Table V, by 6,200 
and reducing the results thus obtained to pounds. The results are self- 
explanatory and need not be discussed in detail in the text. The figures 
