THE ASH OF PLANTS. 163 



The following table includes both the kernel and straw 

 of Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats, Maize, Eice, Buckwheat, 

 Beans, and Peas ; the tubers of Potatoes ; the roots and 

 tops of Sugar-Beets, Field-Beets, Carrots, Turnips, and 

 various parts of the Cotton Plant. 



For the average composition of other plants and vege- 

 table products, the reader is referred to a table in the ap- 

 pendix, p. 409, compiled by Prof. Wolff, of the Royal 

 Agricultural Academy of Wurtemberg. That table in- 

 cludes also the averages obtained by Prof. Wolff for most 

 of the substances, cotton excepted, whose composition is 

 represented in the pages immediately following. 



In both tables the carbonic acid, CO 2 , which occurs in 

 most ashes, is excluded, from the fact that its quantity 

 varies according to the temperature at which the ash is 

 prepared. 



The following is a statement of the various Names and 

 Symbols that are or have been currently applied to the 

 Ash-Ingredients in Chemical Literature. The changes 

 that have been made from time to time, both in symbols 

 and in names, are the results of progress in knowledge or 

 of attempts to improve nomenclature : 



Ol'ler Newer 



Symbols. Symbols. Synonyms. ' 



KO K,O Potash, Potassa, Potassium Oxide, Potassic Oxide. 



NaO Na 2 O Soda, Sodium Oxide, Sodic Oxide. 



MgO MgO Magnesia, Magnesium Oxide, Magnesic Oxide. 



CaO CaO Lime, Calcium Oxide, Calcic Oxide. 



Fe-jOa Fe 2 O 8 Iron Oxide, Peroxide of Iron, Sesquioxide of Iron, 



Ferric Oxide. 



PO g P 2 O 5 Phosphoric Acid, Anhydrous Phosphoric Acid, 



Phosphoric Anhydide, Phosphorus Pentox- 

 ide, Phosphoric Oxide. 



SO 3 SO 3 Sulphuric Acid. Anhydrous Sulphuric Acid, Sul- 



phuric Anhydride, Sulphur Trioxide, Sul- 

 phuric Oxide. 



SiO 8 SiO 2 Silicic Acid, Anhydrous Silicic Acid, Silicic An- 



hydride, Silicon Dioxide, Silicic Oxide, Silica 

 Silex. 



CO a CO 2 Carbonic Acid, Anhydrous Carbonic Acid, Car- 



bonic Anhydride, Carbon Dioxide, Carbouie 

 Dioxide. 



