120-122] GRASS AND HAY 45 



of the mixture in an ignition-tube. The albuminoids will 

 give off ammonia. See paragraph 85. 



120. Chlorophyll in Grass.— Chlorophyll is the green 

 colouring matter which occurs in grass. Cut up a handful 

 of grass with scissors and place it in a mortar ; just cover 

 the grass with methylated spirit and grind it gently with the 

 pestle for a few minutes. Now filter the substance through 

 a piece of linen stretched loosely over the top of a beaker 

 and tied. The liquid which comes through will be quite 

 green. Pour a little of this liquid into an evaporating-basin 

 and leave it on a steam-bath to evaporate. Do not evaporate 

 over a Bunsen flame, or it will catch fire. When all the 

 spirit has evaporated a film of green chlorophyll will be 

 found at the bottom of the dish. Now squeeze all the 

 spirit out of the substance left in the linen and wash it with 

 a little ether. The residue left in the linen will be found to 

 be light-coloured, and if the washing be continued will 

 eventually become colourless. 



121. Ash in Grass. — Place a handful of hay, or grass, 

 dried in the steam-oven, on a porcelain tile and light it with 

 a match. When it has stopped burning gather all the ash 

 on to a piece of platinum foil and heat it until it loses its 

 black colour. Sometimes the ash thus left will be green : 

 this is due to the presence of manganese, but more often it 

 will be white or light-brown. Keep the ash for the next 

 experiment. 



* 122. Alkalies in Grass.— The ash of grass contains 

 both potash and soda, which will probably fuse in the 

 Bunsen flame, and so cause the ash to adhere to the 

 platinum foil. Roll up the foil, with the ash adhering to it, 

 and place in a test-tube. Just cover it with distilled water 

 and boil. Now take a drop of the solution thus prepared, 

 on the end of a glass rod, and touch a piece of red litmus- 

 paper with it. Where the liquid touches the paper the red 

 will be turned to blue, showing the presence of an alkali 



