«3 OF THE INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS 



whilst it was absent from the ashes of a tree of the same species 

 from Mont La Salle, and that the proportion of lime and potash 

 was also very different. 



Hence it has been concluded (erroneously, I believe), that the 

 presence of bases exercises no particular influence upon the 

 growth of plants : but even were this view correct, it must be 

 considered as a most remarkable accident that these same analyses 

 furnish proof for the very opposite opinion. For although the 

 composition of the ashes of these pine-trees was so very different, 

 they contained, according to the analyses of De Saussure, an 

 equal number of equivalents of metallic oxides ; or, what is the 

 same thing, the quantity of oxygen contained in all the bases was 

 in both cases the same. 



100 parts of the ashes of the pine-tree from Mont Breven con- 

 tained — 



Carbonate of Potash . 3*60 Quantity of oxygen in the Potash . 0*415 



Lime . 4-8*34 " " " Lime . 7*327 



" Magnesia 6*77 " " " Magnesia. 1*205 



Sum of the carbonates 50 71 Sum of the oxygen in the bases 9*007 



100 parts of the ashes of the pine from Mont La Salle con- 

 tained — * 



Carbonate of Potash . 7*36 Quantity of oxygen in the Potash . 0-85 

 Lime . 51*19 " " " Lime . 8*10 



" Magnesia 00 00 



Sum of the carbonates 5855 Sum of the oxygen in the bases 8*95 



The numbers 9*007 and 8-95 approach each other as nearly 

 as could be expected even in analyses made for the very purpose 

 of ascertaining the fact above demonstrated ; which the analyst 

 in this case had not in view. 



Let us now compare Berthier's analyses of the ashes of two 

 fir-trees, one of which grew in Norway, the other in Allevard 

 (departement de 1'Isere). One contained 50, the other 25 per 



* According to the experiments of Saussure, 1000 parts of the wood of 

 the pine from Mont Breven gave 11*87 parts of ashes; the same quantity 

 of wood frorc Mont La Salle yielded 11*28 parts. 



