MANURES AND MANURING ' 95 1 



In the juice of the stalk Mr. Hanley found 0.7 % of potash. 



From the results obtained by Mr. KlHs, i ton of banana stalks will 

 yield 18S lb. of dried matter containing 13.7 % of potash (K2 O), or 54 lb. 

 of ash containing 47.5 % potash, or 25 lb. of pure potash. Over 4000 stalks 

 are said to come into lyceds every week, having a total weight of 16,000 

 lb., representing 1340 lb. (about 12 cwt.) of dried matter as rich in potash 

 as kainit. 



In the discussion which followed delivery of the above paper to the 

 Society, stress was laid on the importance of vegetable refuse from the 

 markets as a source of potash, and it was proposed : i) to set apart the 

 refuse for analysis and treatment ; 2) to analyse the ash obtained in 

 refuse destructors, as a large percentage of it came from vegetable pro- 

 duce and consequently contained a quantit}^ of potash. 



II. — An analvsis of banana skins gave the results contained in 

 Table II. 



Table II. — Composition of Skins 



In orii^inal skin : 



Water 88.20 % 



Dried matter 11.80 



Ash 1.77 



Potash 1.05 



in dried matter : 



Ash I5-0O 



Potash 9.03 



In ash : 



Potash 57-i6 



These results are of some practical importance for the United King 

 dom, which, one year with another, imports 9 million bunches averaging 180 

 bananas each, the skins of each bunch totalling a weight of 6.8 kg ; thus 

 it receives every year 61 235 tons of skins containing 7226 tons of dried mat- 

 ter with 9 % of potash. Besides this, the 9 million stalks weighing 1.8 kg 

 each on the average, or 16 328 tons aggregate, supply 1372 tons of dried 

 matter with 13.7 % of potash. 



738 -Waste of Tobacco Ash. — Burrell B. a., in Chemical News, Vol. 113, No. 2949_ 

 pp. 253-256. lyondon, June 2, 1916. 



The fact is recalled that the ash of tobacco, in the various forms in 

 which the latter is smoked, represents on the average 30°/o of the burnt leaf 

 and contains 20 % of potash and 5 to 6 % of phosphoric acid. If hotel 

 proprietors and restaurant keepers had tobacco ashes methodically collected, 

 they would be rendering a service to the country in connection with the po- 

 tash problem, and at the same time making a profit for themselves. 



It is found that : 



A cigar weighing 106.5 grains will give about 32.3 grains of ash, 

 of which 6.5 grains is potash ; 



