243 



not only a qualitative but a quantitative selection of the mineral food con- 

 stituents best adapted to its development. It does not foUoxo then that out of 

 a given mixture a tree will absorb to the largest extent the mineral constituent that is 

 present in greatest abundance. 



The per cent, of ash found in some of the more commoN trees and the 

 variations in different parts of the same tree is seen below : 



TART OF TREE. 



Beech wood 

 Beech bark . 

 Larch wood 

 Larch bark . 

 Spruce wood 

 Spruoe bark 

 An analysis of a Larch 

 ash in its different Darts 



.14 ; Sap wood. 



L<i)VER 



.4;^. 

 3.90 



.27 

 1.25 



.35 

 4.77 



MIDDLE. 



.45 

 3.30 



.30 

 1.75 



.39 

 4.29 



II'PER. 



.47 

 3.00 



.37 

 2.15 



.47 

 4.53 



tree 40 years old gave the following per cent, of 

 30; last year's ring, .18; Cambium ring, 5.17 ; 



Heart wood 

 leaves, 5.36. 



Other trees often contain a much larger per cent, of ash as in the Plum 

 (Malabel) the bark contains 11.2 per cent, while the fruit of the tree con- 

 tains only .72 per cent. 



The following figures will show the per cent, of pure ash as I have 

 found it in some of our common fruit trees, wood and bark of the tree 

 being taken together. The composition of this ash will be found later : 



Pear (Howell), .27 per cent. ; Cherry (May Drake), .20 percent. ; Cherry 

 (Winsor), .23 per cent.; Apricot (Russsan), .22 percent.; Poplar, .31 per 

 cent. 



It can be clearly seen that there is a marked difference in the per cent, 

 of ash in different trees and in different parts of the same tree. This is 

 also found to vary with the seasons of the year as is seen by the follow- 

 ing: 



PART OF TREE. LOWER 



Spring Beech wood 41 



.45 

 .44 

 .43 



Summer Beech wood 

 Autumn Beech wood 

 Winter Beech wood 

 Spring Larch wood . 

 Summer Larch wood . 

 Autumn Larch wood . 

 Winter Larch wood . 



.29 



