412 MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



Specimen 1st 2d. 



Leigh's. Alexander's. Jones 



Silica 810 81-5 



Alumina 1-8 0-9 



Potash 0-9 0-5 



Soda 10 05 



Ox. iron & manganese 1 -0 0'5 



Specimen 1st gave 6-9 pex- cent, of ash; specimen 2d gave 7-3 per cent. ; specimen 3d 

 gave 7"8 per cent. 



The following is given by Sprengel as the composition of the straiv ash of wheat : 



Potash 0-6 1 Silica 81-6 I Sulphuric acid 1-0 



Soda 0-8 I Alumina and the oxides | Chlorine 09 



Lime 6-8 \ of iron and manganese. 2-6 1 Total "Too^ 



Magnesia 0-9 | Phosphoric acid 48 | 



The facts stated in Table 5 show that while the ashes of wheat are composed of nearly 

 the same ingredients in all cases, the proportions of the ingredients vary with the nature of 

 the soil, or some other condition of the plant's growth. Thus the lime varies from 8 to 9-2 

 percent.; the silica from 79 to 8 1-.5 per cent. The ^rs< specimen is from a light sandy 

 soil, the second from a clay soil higliiy manured, and the third from the second low ground 

 of Butcher's Creek, a deep clay loam with iron. 



Oats. — By organic analysis the following results have been obtained :* 

 TABLE No. 1 — Mean of three .samples of the whole plant. 

 Carbon 480 ; Hydrogen G-3: Oxygen 410; Nitrogen 1-5 ; Loss 0-2=:100-0 



In the specimens of the grain from Prof. Doggett, Mr. J. J. Atkins and Col. F. W. Boyd, 

 the following proportions were given : 



TABLE No. 2. 



Doggett Atkins. Boyd. I Doggett. Atkins. Boyd. 



Carbon 51-5 52-3 50'5 | Azote 22 2-0 2-0 



Oxygen 585 37-6 390 i Loss 03 0-1 0-0 



Hydrogen 7'5 8-0 85 | rJ^^^^•^ .lOO-O 100-0 100-0 



Analysis was also made of the straw from which the grain of the preceding Table was 



taken : 



TABLE No. 3 — Straw. Mean of three analyse.'?. 

 Carbon 51-0; Oxygen 415; Hydrogen 60; Azote 0-7 ; Loss 0-8=1000 



The oat <rrain gave of ashes 3-5 per cent. ; the straw 6 per cent. ; their composition, as 

 given by three analyses, being as follows : 



TABLE No. 4.— Ashes of Oats and Straw. 

 Grain. Straw, j Grain. Straw. | Grain. Straw. 



Sihca 54-8 



Potash 13-5 



Magnesia 6-5 



Lime 4-0 



India.m Corn, or Maize. — This invaluable crop has received heretofore comparatively 

 little attention from chemists, and I hav<3. therefore, thought it desirable to examine, during 

 the last two years, various specimens. This has been done with as much care as my time 

 and means would allow, and though I give the results of my own labors, I do so with .some 

 distrust, especially in organic analyses. Table No. 1 gives the mean of five analyses of the 

 grain obtained from Messrs. G. Jones, J. Mason and P. Burnet. 



TABLE No. 1.— Grain. 

 Carbon 48-00; Oxygen 44-00; Hydrogen 6-00; Azote 2-00=100-00 



The proximate elements are as follows : 



TABLE No. 2. 

 Starch 72-00 ; Gluten, albumen, &c. 12-50 ; Fat or oil 920 ; Woody tissue 6-30=100-00 



The entire straw or stalk of the Indian corn contains the following elements : 



TABLE No. 3.— Stalk. 

 Carbon 50-5 ; Oxygen 430 ; Hydrogen 60 ; Azote 0-5=100-00 



The grain contains 1-6 per cent, of ash, which is composed as follows : 



TABLE No. 4.— Ash of Grain. 



Lime 1-5; Magnesia 176; Alkalies 233; Silica 2-4; Phosphoric acid 510; Sulphuric acid 1-3; 



Oxides of iron, alumina, (See. 1-8 ; Carbonic acid 0-9; Loss 0-2=100-0 



* I think it proper to state that I do not rely with entire confidence in the results of organic analyaia, ae 

 stated in this Essay, i consider them approximations. 

 (772) 



