AGRICULTURE OF MECKLENBURG. 



413 



The entire stalk, the giain only excepted, gives 52 per cent, of ash, composed as follows : 

 TABLE No. 5.— Ash of the Stalk.* 

 Lime5-6; Magnesia 6-0 ; Alkalies:50 ; Silica 78-5; Oxides of iron, alumina, &c. 1'8 ; 

 Phosphoric acidSG; Sui[)iiuric acid 1-5=1000 

 It will be obsen-ed here as somewhat remarkable that the amount of magnesia is gi'eater 

 than that of lime in the ashes of Indian coin. In tnilh, the relative amount of the former is 

 quite unexpected and important. If so large an amount be usual, it may be connected with 

 esfiential principles in the growth and economy of the plant. 



Irish Potato (Solarium tnheros^im) — Of the Root and Tops. — Boussingault gives the 

 ultimate constituents as follows : 



TABLE No. 1.— Root and Tops. 

 Root. Tops. 



Carbon 45-33 5447 



Oxygen 4707 3638 



Hydrogen G04 6-37 



Root. 

 Azote l-.'je 



Total 10000 



Tops. 

 2-78 



10000 



The following Table gives the mean of five analyses of the ashes from potatoes grown in 

 the country : 



TABLE No. 2.— Ashes of Root and Tops. 



■Root. Tops. 



Silica 6-8 12-5 



Potassa 52-5 45-3 



Soda "0-5 0-7 



Lime 2 25 



Root. 



Magnesia 4-5 



Oxide of iron and 



alumina 10 



Carbonic acid .. 12o 



Tops. 

 2-0 



60 

 120 



Root. Tops. 



Phosphoric acid 12-5 9-6 



Sulphuric acid.. 70 90 



Loss, &c 0-7 0-4 



Total 100 100-0 



I have also obtained by proximate analysis the following results as the mean of three 

 analyses of the Potato. The specimens used were grown in the vicinity of the College, iu 

 clay soils, artificially manured. I also add a pioximate analysis from Liebig by Henry : 

 TABLE No. 3.— Proximate Elements of the Potato. 



Henry. 



Water 7400 7312 



Starch 12-.50 13-30 



AVoody fibre 7-50 679 



Gluten, albumen 100 (Albumen) 0-92 



Sugar 2-40 3-30 



li'atty matter 0-60 



Salts 2-00 



Volatile poisonous matter 



100-00 



Henry. 

 1-12 

 1-40 



99-95 

 0-05 



10000 



Sweet Potato (Convolvulus batafus). — Of this valuable root I have been able to pr-e- 

 pare no analysis except ol" the ashes. The succeeding Table contains the results : 



TABLE No. 1.— Root and Tops. 

 Root. Tops. I Root. Tops. I Root. Tops. 



Potassa 54-6 46-8 Magnesia 43 3-4 Sulphuric acid 8-4 8-7 



Soda 0-8 0-6 I Oxides of iron, i Carbonic acid . 60 8 



Silica 5-4 105 alumina, <5cc. 1-5 70 



Lime 3-5 40 I Phosphoric acid 15-5 110 



Total 100-0 



100-0 



This is the composition of a variety commonly called the yam, grown iu the garden of 

 Mr. George Jones. Other vai-ieties have not been particularly examined. 



Tobacco (Nicotiai.a tahacnm). — MM. I'osselt and Reimann, two German chemists, 

 give the following as the results of proximate analysis. The terms employed may be un- 

 derstood by reference to any elementary work on Chemistry: 



TABLE No. 1. — Proximate Analysis of Tobacco Leaves, 



Nicotina OOfiO 



Nicotine 0010 



Bitter extractive 2-870 



Gum and a litde malate 



, of lime 1-740 



Green resin 267 



Albumen 0-260 



Gluten 1-048 



Malic acid 0540 



Malate of ammonia 0-120 



Sulphate of potash 0-!8 



Chloride of potassium . 0-063 

 Malate and nitrate of 



potash 0-095 



Phosphate oflimc 0166 



Malate ot lime 0-242 



Silica 0-088 



Lignis 4-969 



Water 87-280 



Starch a trace 



99-876 



Loss 0124 



Total 1 00^00~ 



All of the bodies here mentioned Ijesides the mineral constituents, are composed essentially 

 of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, with a sinall portion of nitrogen in a few instances. 



The aslies of this plant I have examined in various ways, and will give the results of two 

 attempts in the succeeding Table : 



TABLE No. 2.— Ashes of Tobacco. 



Specimrn No.\. No. 2. 



Specimen No. 1. No. 2. 



J.W..Ioae9. A.S.Ioncs. 



Silica 1.5.59 



Lime llfiO 



Magnesia 7-75 



Potkssa 7 30 



Soda 2-50 



14-.50 



14-25 



6-50 



8-40 



2-75 



Specimi-ii No. 1. No. 2. 

 .I.W.Jdiics. A.S.Jones. 



Chlo. potassium. 1-75 1-80 

 Alumina and ox. 



manganese.. 450 3-20 



Carbonic acid . 1975 1800 



Sulphuric acid. 12-30 13-90 



.I.\V..Io 



Phosphoric acid 14-80 

 Ammonia 200 



100-00 



* This stalk was a very soi-ry specimen from the Ennd-bntik on Mr. Baptiete's low ground. I examined 

 it un account of lis defects mainly. Deticicnt in the alkaliea. 

 (773) 



