10-t 



Agricultural Chemistry. 



Composition of the Ash of Plants. 



The ash constituents of plants occurring in the seed are present 

 there almost entirly as constituents of organic compounds. The 

 hulls of the oat and other grains, which are not a part of the 

 seed proper, have been found to contain considerable amounts of 

 inorganic compounds, among which silica is especially notable. 

 The large amount of this ingredient in cereal straws is supposed 

 to be in inorganic form, and phosphorus and sulphur have been 

 shown to be present in the stems of legumes and other plants at 

 early stages of growth to a large extent as constituents of inor- 

 ganic compounds. When the plant is burned, sulphur, phos- 

 phorus and other acid forming elements which are present in 

 organic compounds, are converted to acid radicles. These acid 

 radicles combine with basic radicles simultaneously formed from 

 calcium, potassium and other metallic elements in the plant. 

 This results in the production of inorganic salts, such as potas- 



