196 CULTURE OF T II E GRAPE. 



be added. The soil will, ordinarily, contain a sufficient 

 supply of alkaline matter for the first and second sea- 

 son. When it is borne in mind, however, how greatly 

 these enter into the composition of the vine, it will 

 be evident that they must not lack in these materials. 

 Various analyses of the ashes of the grape vary in 

 results ; but we may state, in round numbers, the more 

 important items. 



^ According to the tables of the French chemist Crasso, 

 the ashes of the wood of small Burgundy vines contain 

 of potassa, 45 per cent ; lime, and phosphate of lime, 

 35; phosphoric acid, 7; magnesia, 5; soda, 4; sulphuric 

 acid, 2 ; with traces of silicic acid, chlorine, &c., to make 

 up the 100 parts. In the fruit, the proportion of potassa 

 is very considerably increased, rising as high as 60 per 

 cent in some experiments ; while the phosphoric and sul- 

 phuric acids are also considerably increased ; and, on the 

 other hand, lime, falls away, in the fruit, to about 4 per 

 cent. 



Dr. Emmons, of Albany, N.Y., who has made valuable 

 analyses of the inorganic parts of various kinds of fruit- 

 trees, gives the following result from the ashes of the 

 common wild grape : 



