Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 6.djvu/76

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66
THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.

PHOSPHORIC ACID IN THE ASH.

DATE. In 100 Parts of Dried Leaves. In 100 Parts of Ash.
April 15. 1.400 31.67
June 6. 0.770 11.16
Oct. 1 0.460 5.61
Oct 31 0.256 3.20

LEAVES OF THE MAPLE.

DATE. REMARKS. Nitro-
genized
Matter.
Carbon-
aceous
Matter.
Ash.
May 1 Leaves small 40.94 53.06 6.00
" 7 "small, expanded 38.56 54.54 6.90
" 20 "normal 26.25 65.86 7.89
June 13 "larger 22.87 67.73 9.40
July 12 "" 19.59 68.13 12.28
Aug. 4 "" 20.19 68.17 11.64
Sept. 3 "" 20.62 65.88 13.50
Oct. 3 "fading 20.00 65.25 14.75
" 14 "fallen 14.80 69.00 16.20

PHOSPHORIC ACID OF THE ASH.

DATE. In 10 Parts of Dried Leaves. In 100 Parts of Ash.
May 1 2.797 49.62
June 13. 0.957 10.18
Oct. 3. 0.119 0.73

It will be at once observed that the absolute amount of nitrogenized substances differs widely as between the leaves of the two plants: there is at first far more in those of the maple than in those of the lilac, and this superiority is maintained during the whole period of vegetation.

Probably were we to examine from this point of view a large number of plants, we should find differences as great as these. Even between trees of the same species similar differences occur, according to their age and vigor, and more particularly according to the surroundings. Thus, on July 12, 1873, M. Corenwinder collected leaves of the common lilac in a garden situated in the open country near Saint-Quentin, and in them found:

Nitrogenized matters. 18.56
Carbonaceous matters 72.90
Ash 8.54
———
100.00

Comparing this analysis with that of the lilac-leaves which were gathered at the same time, but in a city-garden, we see that those which had plenty of air, growing in the country, remote from aggregations of human beings, are the richer in nitrogenized substances. They also grow thicker and larger, the activity of respiration devel-