No. 7. 



On the Distribution of Mineral Substances. 



219 



Translated for the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 On the distribution of Mineral substan- 

 ces in different parts of Plants, by C 

 Rammelsberg. 



From Annal. de Poggendorff, translate ind 

 the Journal de Pharrnaciet de Chimie. 



The chemical examination of colza and 

 peas, has conducted M. Rammelsberg to the 

 following interesting results, viz. that the 

 substances contained in the grain, differ both 

 in quality and quantity from those found in 

 the straw. 



The seed of colza and of the pea contain 

 potash without a trace of soda. In the straw 

 on the contrary he has found both alkalies, 

 the soda predominating. Both plants contain 

 lime and magnesia; the first abounding in 

 the straw, the latter in the seed. Phosphoric 

 acid, which is an essential part of the seed, 

 is found in the straw in but very small quan- 

 tities: thus for example, the seed of colza 

 contains eight times, and peas three and a 

 half times as much phosphoric acid as the 

 same weight of the straw of these plants. 

 The proportions of minerals and sulphates 

 is the reverse of this : the straw presenting 

 them in considerable quantities, while but 

 very minute portions are found in the seed. 

 This is also true of the carbonic acid pro- 

 duced by the incineration of the organic 

 parts. The following are the Results of the 

 experiments of M. Rammelsberg. 



I. Colza. 



Potasse, 



Soda, 

 Lime, 

 Magnesia, 

 Peroxide of Iron, 

 Posphoric Acid, 

 Sulphuric Acid, 

 Carbonic Acid, 

 Muriatic Acid, 

 Silica, 



II. Peas. 



Potash, 



Soda, 



Lime, 



Magnesia, ) 



Peroxide of Iron, \ 



Phosphoric Acid, 



Sulphuric Acid, 



Carbonic Acid, 



Muriatic Acid, 



Silica, 



25.18 



12.91 

 11.39 ) 

 0.62 S 

 45.95 

 0.53 

 2.20 

 0.11 

 1.11 



100.00 



Seed. 



43.09 



4.77 



8.06 



40.56 

 0.44 

 0.79 

 1.96 

 0.33 



100.00 



Straw. 



8.13 

 19 82 

 20.05 



2.56 



4.76 



760 



16.31 



19.93 



0.84 



100.00 



Straw. 

 8.20 



12.50 

 30.53 



6.93 



9.21 

 7.01 

 16 36 

 7.15 

 0.62 



100.00 



Ashes form 100 parts of each substance. 



From the Colza, seed, 4.54, straw 5.21. 



From the Peas, seed, 3.28, straw, 4.15. 



In these experiments the vegetable sub- 

 stances were carbonized at a gentle heat in 

 a covered crucible, to avoid loss and decom- 

 position ; the charcoal, reduced to a fine 

 powder, was washed with boiling water, and 

 the extract submitted to special examina- 

 tion. The remaining charcoal was treated 

 with muriatic acid, was well washed, dried 

 and incinerated, and the ashes added to the 

 acid solution. The carbonic acid, sulphuric 

 acid and ciilorine were determined sepa- 

 rately. The following is the composition 

 of the soluble portion contained in 100 parts 

 of the preceding: 



12.94 



34.92 



The preceding numbers do not, of course, 

 represent the entire quantity of soluble parts, 

 for the structure of vegetable charcoal does 

 not permit their complete extraction, espe- 

 cially those contained in the seed. 



M. Rammelsberg concluded his paper with 

 a review of the principal re.'-uUs heretofore 

 obtained by other chemists in Iheir analysis 

 of the different parts of maize, wheat, rye, 

 barley, oats, and of the pine. lie thought, 

 at present, it would be ])remature to draw 

 general conclusions from the analysis, yet 

 would call attention to the constant presence 

 and large proportion of phosphoric acid in 

 the .=eed, whilst it was found in but small 

 quantity in other parts of vegetables. In 

 like manner, lime is especially abundant in 

 the straw and in wood, while magnesia is 

 met with in the seed. 



