OF ASH IN FOREST TREES. 313 



4. Beech wood {Fagus sylvestris) . 



Water ... - 

 Dry .... 



Ash .... 



The percentage of charcoal in beecli wood amounts to 17-16. Deducting 0*85 for in- 

 organic matter, it leaves 16-94 from which all volatile matter has been expelled by ignition 

 in a close vessel. 



5. Iron- WOOD (Ostrya virginica) . 



.Sap wood. 



Water .... 30-00 



Dry .... 65-00 



Ash .... 0-196 



Organic matter - . 64*805 



Calculated dry . . 0-300 



The iron-wood, when ignited in a close vessel, gives 16-21 pei- centum of charcoal, or 



matter free from volatile substances : deducting 0*30 for inorganic matter, it leaves 15 91 

 as pure charcoal. 



Seasoned wood of the Ostrya virginica, or Iron-wood. 



Heart wood. 



Water 14-80 



Dry 85-20 



Ash 0-40 



Organic matter .... 84-80 



Calculated dry - - • - 0-467 



The Iron-wood is one of the instances in which the percentage of ash is greater in the 

 heart wood than in the sap wood. The tree, as is well known, grows slowly, and never 

 attains a large size ; and the one from which the wood was taken for experiment, was 

 about eight inches in diameter. The seasoned wood was from a small tree about the same 

 size as the preceding, but was one hundred years old. 



6. Broad-leaved Laurel (Kalmia latifolia). 



Wood of the trtink Wood of the root. 



Water .... 3030 36-30 



Dry .... 70-00 63'70 



Ash .... 0-22 0-10 



The percentage of charcoal of this very compact wood amounU to only 7-30; and de- 

 ducting the inorganic matter, 6-60 is pure charcoal. 



[AoRicuLTUBL Report — Vol. II.] 40 ^- » 



