THE ASH OF PLANTS. 



m 



3. DifEereut parts of any plant usually exhibit decided 

 differences in the composition of their ash. This fact is 

 made evident by a comparison of the figures of the table 

 above, and is more fully illustrated by the following anal- 

 yses of the parts of the mature oat-plant, by Arendt, 1 to 

 6 {Die Haferpflanze, p. 107), and Norton, 7 to 9 {Am. 

 Jour. ScL, 2 Ser. 3, 318). 



Potash 81.2 



Soda 0.4 



Magnesia 2.1 



Lime 3.6 



Oxide of Iron.... 1.0 

 Phosphoric acid. 2.7 

 Sulphuric acid.. 0.0 



Silica 4.1 



Chlorine 8.6 



1 2 



liOicer Middle 

 Stem. Stem. 

 68.3 



1.5 

 3.6 

 6.3 

 0.0 

 1.4 

 1.3 

 9.3 

 11.7 



4 6 6 7 8 9 



h. Kernel 

 husked. 



31-7 

 8.6 

 6.3 

 0.8 



49.1 

 0.0 

 1.8 

 0.2 



The results of Arendt and Norton are not in all respects strictly com- 

 parable, having been obtained by different methods, but serve well to 

 establish the fact in question. 



We see from the above figures that the ashof thejower 

 stem consists chiefly of potash (81 % ). This alkali is pre- 

 donunant throughout the stem, but in the npper jarts, 

 where the stem is not covered by the leaf sheaths, silica 

 and linle occur in large quantity. In the ash of the leaves, 

 sllica,j£otash, and l ime a re the principal ingredients. In_ 

 the chaff andTiiiak, silica constitutes three-fourtlis of the 

 ashTwiiile in the grain, phosphoric acid appears as the char- 



•Exclusive of husk. 



