194 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



2 GEORGE V.,. A. 1912 



machines. From the agricultural standpoint, the burning of straw is a wasteful pro- 

 cess, depriving the land of considerable amounts of nitrogen and humus-forming 

 material, which with the aid of stock would naturally enrich the soil. But it may be 

 asked, is there any loss of mineral matter — ash constituents — in the burning of the 

 straw? To answer this inquiry we submitted to analysis a sample of the clinker ash 

 obtained by a correspondent at Macleod, Alta. The ash heap had been formed by the 

 burning of large quantities of wheat straw. The sample was quite black, of a vitreous, 

 lava-like character and brittle. On analysis it was found to have the following com- 

 p >sition : — 



Organic and volatile matter (chiefly carbon).. 

 Mineral matter insoluble in acid (chiefly silica). 



Oxide of iron and alumina 



Lime 



Magnesia 



Potash 



Phosphoric acid 



Undetermined 



Potash, by lixivation with cold water -425 " 



Potash, after treatment with caustic lime and lixi- 

 vation with water .461 " 



While it is quite evident that this ash has a decided fertilizing value, chiefly from 

 its notable percentage of potash, it is equally evident since wheat straw contains from 

 10 per cent to 15 percent of potash, that there has been a very considerable loss in 

 this element, due to volatilization in the burning of the straw or to subsequent leach- 

 ing of the ash heap by rain. 



SEA-WEED. 



In several of our former reports (1894, 1901, 1905) we have called attention to 

 the manurial value of the sea-weeds as cast up both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts 

 of the Dominion, giving data as to their composition and indicating how they may 

 be profitably used by those whose farms are not too far distant from the shore. We 

 are fully aware that large numbers of farmers, more especially in Nova Scotia, are 

 cognizant of the worth of sea-weed, and employ it liberally in the upkeep of the 

 fertility of their soils, but we also know there are very many who could readily obtain 

 this sea manure at small cost but who, possibly from ignorance as to its value, neglect 

 to gather it. 



Our results in the past have pointed to considerable variation in composition 

 among sea-weeds, so that certain species appear to be much richer in the fertilizing 

 elements than others; and, further, it has been shown that the composition of any 

 particular species or kind may vary markedly with the season at which it is collected. 

 It was to obtain further information of a definite character respecting the manurial 

 value of a number of varieties occurring in the lower St. Lawrence that the following 

 analyses have been made. The samples were collected towards the end of October at 

 Isle Verte, on the south shore of the river, 131 miles below Quebec, the sea-weeds being 

 taken out of the water at some little distance from the shore, allowed to drain until 

 apparently free from all mechanically held water and forwarded to the laboratory in 

 hermetically sealed jars. 



A brief description of the sea-weeds examined, with their scientific and common 

 names, has been kindly furnished by Mr. H. T. Giissow, Dominion Botanist. 



