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XX. Researches on the Compositioji and Characters of certain 

 Soils and Waters belonging to the Flax districts of Belgium, 

 and on the Chemical Constitution of the Ashes of the Flax 

 Plant. By Sir Robert Kane, M.D., M.B.I.A. 



[Continued from p. 45.] 



3. Results of the Examination of the Ashes of Flax grown 

 upon the Soils previously analysed, 



A. This was coarse flax ; and the flax of this district is 

 usually of rather poor quality. It is however in most cases 

 sown late, about the 15th of May. 



On incineration, this flax was found to give of pure ash, in 

 average, 4'237 per cent. 



The stem, dried at 212°, and analysed, was found to con- 

 tain 0*982 per cent, of nitrogen. 



The ash contained, per cent., after deducting the sand and 

 charcoal, which can be considered but as accidentally present : 



Potash 7-697 



Soda 19-186 



Lime ........ 15-379 



Magnesia 3 •446 



Oxide of iron 4*501 



Alumina 0-444 



Oxide of manganese ... a trace 



Sulphuric acid 6-280 



Phosphoric acid .... 11*206 



Carbonic acid 20-599 



Chloride of sodium . . . 8-213 

 Silica 3-056 



100000 



B. This flax was of the very best description, and was 

 grown from first-class seed. 



The stem, dried at 212°, and analysed, was found to con- 

 tain per cent 0*756 of nitrogen. 



On incineration, the plant, dried at 212°, yielded in average 

 5-434 per cent, of pure ash. 



After deducting the sand and charcoal accidentally present, 

 the ash was found to contain per cent., — 



