110 Sir Robert Kane on the Chemical Constitution of the . 



when dried at 212°, 0*56 of nitrogen per cent., and 5 percent, 

 of ashes, consisting of, in 100 parts, — 



Potash 9-78 



Soda 9-82 



Lime 12*33 



Magnesia 7*79 



Alumina 6'08 



Phosphoric acid . . . 10*84 



Sulphuric acid .... 2*65 



Carbonic acid .... 16*95 



Chlorine 2*41 



Silica 21*35 



100-00 



I selected for another analysis a specimen of flax given to 

 nie by William Blacker, Esq., which had received a prize at 

 the Market-hill show by the tenants of the Earl of Gosford. 

 When dried at 212°, this flax yielded 0*672 per cent, of nitro- 

 gen, and 5*572 per cent, of ashes, which contained per cent. — 



Potash 6*332 



Soda 6*350 



Lime ........ 22*699 



Magnesia ...;... 4.*058 



Peroxide of iron .... 13*520 



Oxide of manganese . . . 1*092 



Alumina none 



Sulphuric acid .... . 8*929 



Phosphoric acid .... 7*002 



Carbonic acid 4*107 



Chloride of sodium . . . 0*901 



Silica 24-978 



99*968 

 There is first to be remarked the very curious circumstances 

 of both Irish specimens containing a large quantity of silica, 

 from 21 to 25 per cent., whilst the Belgian and Dutch flax 

 contained only from 3 to 5 per cent. In the Dublin flax there 

 is no particular replacement to which this could be attributed; 

 but in the Armagh flax, the small quantity of carbonic acid, 

 only 4 per cent., shows that the organic acids had been but 

 little generated in the plant, and probabh' a quantity of silica 

 was substituted for them. The question of whether this large 

 quantity of silica, which, however, is mostly removed from the 

 fibre along with the other materials during its dressing, could 

 produce in it any degree of hardness or brittleness, is very 

 well worthy of the attention of the philosophical agriculturist. 



