TOBACCO STEMS AND WASTE 527 



powder may be useful as an insecticide as well as a fertilizer. To- 

 bacco stems contain from 12 to 27 per cent, of moisture, and from 

 12 to 20 per cent, of ash. The composition of the stems from two 

 celebrated tobacco-growing regions is subjoined: 17 



Kentucky stems Connecticut stems 

 per cent. per cent. 



Moisture 26.70 13-47 



Organic and volatile 60. 18 70.85 



Ash 13.12 15.68 



The ash calculated to the original substance has the following 

 composition : 



Kentucky stems Connecticut stems 

 per cent. per cent. 



Phosphoric acid < 0.67 0.53 



Potash 8.03 6.41 



It is thus seen that about half the ash of tobacco stems is com- 

 posed of potash. The stalks of the tobacco have almost the same 

 composition as the stems, but the percentage of ash is not quite 

 so great. In three samples analyzed at the Connecticut station 

 the percentages of ash found in the water-free substance are 6.64, 

 7.00, and 7.46, respectively. The pure ash of the stalks is found 

 to have the following composition: 18 



Description of samples. 

 Cut Aug. 22, Cut Sept. 17, 

 Constituents per cent. per cent. 



Silica 0.82 0.57 



Iron and aluminum oxids 1.38 1.38 



Lime 14.01 16.58 



Magnesia 6.64 7.36 



Potash 56.34 54-46 



Soda 1.28 1.16 



Sulfuric acid 8.06 6.75 



Phosphoric acid 6.37 6.27 



Chlorin 6.55 7.05 



101.45 101.58 



Deduct oxygen = chlorin 1.48 1.58 



IOO.OO IOO.OO 



The leaves of the tobacco contain more ash than the stalks or 

 stems, but the percentage of potash therein is less. In 18 samples 



17 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 97, 1889 : 7. 



18 Annual Report of the Connecticut Agricultural Station, 1892 : 32. 



