DISCUSSION OF CHEMICAL DATA. 



79 



also indicate a doubtful quality. Great care should be used in this 

 determination not to overheat the ash. 



Some analysts who have published results on maple sirup claim 

 that the character and color of the ash are indicative of purity or 

 adulteration. Hortvet states that "an almost constant indication 

 is a more or less distinct green color, the intensity of which varies 

 partly with the degree of purity of the sample." Jones states that 

 the sirup "burns readily to a white or gray ash, which is usually of a 

 leafy, network structure." The author's experience has been that 

 most of the samples burn easily to an ash, but that only a few show 

 the green color, generally giving a white to gray ash. The structure 

 of the ash depends greatly on the manner of burning. Most samples 

 did not yield the leafy, network structure, but a light and fluffy 

 formation. The last traces of carbon burn out very easily. 



SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE ASH. 



For insoluble ash, reduced to dry substance, the average is 0.38 

 per cent for the United States and 0.37 per cent for the 481 samples. 

 The extremes in both cases are the same, 1.01 and 0.23 per cent. For 

 soluble ash the average is 0.64 for the United States and 0.63 per cent 

 for all. The extremes are again the same, 1.23 and 0.35 per cent. 

 The average figures obtained by dividing the per cent of soluble ash 

 by the per cent of insoluble ash are 1.68 for the United States and 

 1.70 for all samples. The extremes are practically the same, namely, 

 ).53 and 3.86. 



The insoluble ash represents the calcium compounds and sometimes 

 silica. The figures for this determination grouped by States and 

 iivided into classes varying by 0.10 per cent are as follows: 



Insoluble ash determinations (dry basis), grouped by States. 



J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1904, 26: 1541. 



