150 CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF FLAX 
to its being used by man, is separated to a considerable extent from those 
very mineral substances which are so essential for its successful growth. 
This mineral matter, when economised in a proper manner by the farmer, 
may be returned to his field to keep up the equilibrium of its fertility. 
“The vegetation of the Flax plant resembles in this respect the growth of 
the sugar-cane, from the culture of which, we expect a material consisting 
entirely of atmospheric constituents. The inorganic substances taken up by 
the plant are only instruments used in its production, which should be as 
carefully preserved as tools in a manufactory, and will then do further duty 
in promoting the elaboration of future crops. 
Messrs. Mayer and Brazier then directed their attention to 
the soils upon which the different specimens of Flax had been 
grown, samples of which, through the kindness of Mr. Marshall, 
had likewise been forwarded to Dr. Hoffman. These soils all 
gave a brownish colour to boiling water, owing to a portion of 
the organic matter being soluble in that menstruum. 
From their various analyses, Messrs. Mayer and Brazier obtain, by calcu- 
lation, the following amounts of constituents of 100 parts in the soils: 
i Lievland. Courland. Lithuania. Estland. 
Potash 7 ag 3 H 05011 0°3241 05466 0°3726 
Soda . 2 5 ‘ ; _— 0°1320 0-0452 0°0480 
Lime . ‘ : ‘ ; 0°3751 0°7816 0:4980 0°7955 
Magnesia. - : : 0-2006 0-1304 0°1805 03619 
Alumina. . _ ‘ 11919 18731 21418 2°0102 
Sexquioxide of Iro : - 18076 2°3767 31900 2°0206 
Manganese . fi ‘ A trace. trace. trace. trace, 
Chloride of Sodium. : 0-0455 0:0247 00421 0:0790 
Sulphuric Acid. 4 a 0°1539 0:0880 0°1206 0°1618 
Phosphoric Acid FI : 0°1399 00538 0:0805 0°1597 
Organic matter. a ‘ 47176 4:0300 4°3442 48630 
Insoluble residue after deduct- : . : : 
eens }| 91-0034 | seue72 | sa-a7aa | 88-2364 
100°1966 99:3016 99°6619 991087 
The insoluble residue constituting the greater portion of the soil, was 
fused with carbonate of potash. Upon calculation, they yielded the following 
results per cent : 
Lievland. Courland, Lithuania. Estland. 
Lime . 7 : : : traces. 18727 0°8778 2-0120 
Alumina * ‘ “ ‘ 11-6270 671145 2°2452 5°7949 
Sesquioxide of Iron. " traces. traces. traces. traces. 
Phosphoric Acid . . . traces. traces. none. traces. 
Silicie Acid : . 2 79°3424 81:5000 85-0938 80°5676 
90-9694 92°6224 88-2168 88°3345 
In all the four soils, they found, comparatively speaking, considerable 
quantities of alkali, especially potash, and also of phosphoric acid. They 
