Mineral Nutrients 



137 



constituents remain in the ashes (technically the ash). 

 Water, total solid matter, and ash are therefore readily 

 determined by simple methods. 



The total ash seldom amounts to more than 2 or 3 per 

 cent of the green-weight, and any single mineral element 

 of this ash constitutes, as a rule, merely a fraction of 1 per 

 cent of the weight of the plant ; yet every essential mineral 

 element is quite as important as any other factor in plant 

 production. The percentages of ash in some familiar 

 plants and plant products are given in the following 

 table : 1 



1 Many of these are the average results of Jenkins and Wintori (Com- 

 pilation of Analysis of American Feeding-stuffs, Off. Exp. Stas. U. S. 

 Dept. Agl., Bui. ii : 156 pp., 1902). 



