CHEMISTRY. 13 



Ash analyses of some New Mexico plants, A. (Joss {New Mexico Sta. Bui. 44, 

 pp. 14). — Ash analyses of the foll()\vin<; plants are reported: Salt grass {DididiUs spi- 

 cal'i); liunch grass {Sji(irohohi.'< (tiroides) ; sea blite {Duudia .'nijfnjte.srens); cachanilla 

 {I'/kcJico scricea); shadscale {Atriple.v (•(nieKcciw^); creosote bush {Larrea tridentata); 

 popotilli) [Ephedra frifurca); century plant {Agare apJanata p(irryi); sotol, stem and 

 leaves {Ihisiilirloii irlteeleri); soapweed, stem and leaves {Yucca radio-m); Spanish 

 dagger, stem and leaves { Y. iiKto-ocarpa); oeotillo {Fouqulera sploidois); prickly 

 pear {Opimtia camanchica and O. viacrocerdra) ; tree cactus {0. arhorescens) ; chico 

 ])nsh {S<m'ohiitt(.'( rermicul(diif<), and alfalfa. The different plants are described in con- 

 nection with a discussion of their composition. Among the general conclusions drawn 

 are the following: 



"Plants such as Yuccas, sotol, and prickly pear growing on the arid iilains and 

 hill sides where there is very little moisture in the soil, seem as a rule to be very 

 high in ash, although there are exceptions such as ocotillo. In general, all the 

 plants of this region seem to average higher in ash than the plants of the rainfall 

 districts. This is probably due to the more concentrated solutions of mineral matter 

 present in the soils in which they grow. 



"In regard to the mineral contents of })lants growing on alkali soils, there does not 

 seem to be very much uniformity. Salt grass and bunch grass, for example, while 

 containing something like an average amount of ash, are much lower in soda, potash, 

 lime, magnesia and the other elements usually found in alkali, than many ( tf the plants 

 growing on soils containing much less alkali. The principal portion of the ash of 

 these grasses is silica which does not form a part of alkali at all. On the other hand, 

 the sea blite and chico bush, both alkali loving plants, are very high in soda and 

 some of the other elements found in alkali, and do not contain nearly^o much silica 

 as the grasses. Again, in this connection, the prickly pears taken from a limestone 

 hill are very remarkably high in both ash and lime, whereas ocotillo, taken from 

 the same place, is low in both ash and lime. It would seem, therefore, that the 

 species of the plant has perhaps more to do with its mineral composition than the 

 environment under which it grew." 



The sea blite is suggested as i)ossibly useful in the removal of alkali from lands. 

 From the average results of analyses of 4 cuttings of alfalfa it is estimated that there 

 is removed in each ton of dry alfalfa 48.8 lbs. of nitrogen, 68.2 ll>s. of potash, and 8.2 

 lbs. of phosphoric acid, estimated at eastern prices at $11.14. 



A comparative study was made of the sulj^hur in ash as determined l>y the official 

 method of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists and in the jilant as deter- 

 mined by the method of fusion with potash and potassium nitrate. In the latter 

 method large iron crucibles were finally used in place of platinum crucibles, which 

 were seriously injured. Averaging the results for all the samples the sulphur in the 

 ash was 0.29 per cent and in the plant 0.71 per cent. The percentage of sulphur 

 lost in burning varied in different plants and ranged from 34 to 94 per cent. The 

 determination of sulphur in the ash with a view to determining the amount origi- 

 nally ])resent in the jdant is therefore considered a1)Solutely worthless. 



Detection and determination of ammonia in -waters by means of diami- 

 nophenol, Manget and ]\r.\KioN {A7111. Chhn. Anahjt., S {1903), p. S-3; ahs. in Jour. 

 Chcni. Sor. [London], S4 (A9/9.?), iVo. .^^7, 7/, ;>. -?.W).— It is stated that diaminophenol 

 (amidol) is superior to Nessler reagent for detecting and determining traces of 

 ammonia in waters. It very distinctly shows 1 ))art per million or even less. 



Investigation of the fat of guinea corn (Andropogon sorghum), N. F. 

 Andreyev {Zltur. Opuitn. Agron. [Jour. E.cpt. Landw.], 4 {IDOS) , No. 2, pp. 145-180) . — 

 The seed of guinea corn {Andropogon sorghum) is an important cattle feed in Turkes- 

 tan. Recently the question of its suitability as a fodder for military horses has 

 attracted considerable attention, some enipii-ical trials having given encouraging 

 results. In view of the fact that the favorable effect of oats on horses has l)een 

 ascrilK'd l)y some to the high fat content, the author made a study of the fat of 



