54 



INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS. 



of the water which they contain. The quantities of ashes, there- 

 fore, mentioned by M. de Saussure, if they be referred to vegetables 

 absolutely dry, are somewhat too small. 



I present a few estimates of ashes from analyses which I have had 

 occasion to make of some of those plants which are the usual sub- 

 jects of cultivation with us. The drying here was always performed 

 with care in an oil-bath heated to 110" cent. (230° Fahr.)* 



Substance dried at S30" Fahr. Ashec. 



Wheat Straw 0,070 



Wheat 0.024 



Rye straw 0,036 



Rye 0,023 



Oat straw 0.051 



Oats 0.040 



Potatoes 0,040 



Beet-root 0,063 



Substance dried at 830' Fahr. Ashes. 



Turnip 0,076 



Jerusalem artichoke 0,060 



Stems of ditto 0,028 



White peas 0,031 



Pea straw 0,113 



Clover hay 0,077 



^Meadow hay 0,090 



' After grass (meadow) 0,100 



We owe to M. Berthierf the following results of the incineration 

 of different kinds of wood burned in the state in which they are gen- 

 erally used. 



Kinu of wood. Ashes. 



Fir 0,0083 



Birch 0,0100 



False ebony 0,0125 



Hazel 0.0157 



White mulberry. 0.0160 



Saint Lucia wood 0,0160 



Elder 0.0164 



Judea-trec 0,0170 



Oak (branches) 0.0250 



Oak bsirk 0,0600 



Lime-tree 0,0500 



Kind of wood. Ashes. 



Poplar bark 0,0020 



Box wood 0,0036 



Oak barked, ash, pine, birch, &c. 0.0040 



Thorn 0,0050 



Aspintree 0,0060 



Oakbark 0,0120 



Black wood 0,0149 



Mahogany 0,0160 



Ebony O.O'fiO 



Oak (fagot) 0.0220 



Fearns 0,0450 



We possess several analyses of ashes from different parts of the 

 same plants in the researches of MM. de Saussure and Berthier. 

 As the knowledge of these saline substances may prove highly im- 

 portant m our agricultural applications, and as it further completes, 

 in some sort the facts that bear ujwn the chemical phenomena of 

 vegetation, 1 here add a table of the results obtained by the skilful 

 analys's just quoted : 



 Ann. de Chimie, t. i. page 234. 3e. s6rie. 

 T Traits des Essais, t i, page 259 



