180 



Analijses of Ashes of Plants. 



table matter, when fully worked up, descends into the tuber, and 

 is there deposited. The leaves would contain, therefore, not only 

 their own proper mineral constituents, but the greater part of the 

 excess of such bodies which had entered the plant. 



The ash of the top differs from that of the bulb chiefly in con- 

 taining' less phosphoric and sulphuric acids, less potash, but a 

 great deal more lime. Neither in the top or the bulb is there 

 much silica, but the ash of both contains much carbonic acid, 

 and a considerable quantity of common salt. The presence of 

 chloride of potassium in the leaf but not in the bulb is worthy of 

 remark. It should be understood that as we have no means of 

 deciding in what state of combination the chlorine exists in an 

 ash, it is usual to assign it to the metallic base of soda. Chloride 

 of sodium is therefore usually mentioned ; but where the soda is 

 not in sufficient abundance for this purpose, the excess of chlorine 

 is given to potassium. Chloride of potassium may exist in many 

 cases ; but in these cases it or some other chloride, besides com- 

 mon salt, must be present. If the potash of the plant be obtained 

 from chloride of potassium, then it is easy to see why it should be 

 found in the leaves but not in the bulb. 



But though the ash of different specimens is in many respects 

 alike, more especially in the bulbs, its per centage is so variable 

 that one bulb might, weight for weight, contain twice as much 

 phosphoric acid or potash as another. A table of the quantity of 

 each substance in a ton of bulb and top will give a clear notion 

 of this : — 



Table 6. — Mineral Matter (in pounds) in one ton of Turnip-bulb. 



No. of Spec. 



82 



83 



84 



85 



77 



86 



Mean 

 of the six 

 Specimens. 



Variety. 



Skirving's 

 Swede. 



Skirving's 

 Swede. 



Dale's 

 Hybrid. 



Dale's 

 Hybrid. 



Skirving's 

 Swede. 



Green-top 

 Wliitc. 



Per Centage) 

 of Ash . ) 



•75 



•76 



1-09 



•72 



•88 



•59 





Silica . • 

 Phosph. Ac. 

 Sulph. Ac. . 

 Lime . 

 Magnesia . 

 Perox. Iron 

 Potash . . 

 Soda . . 

 Chlo. Sodium 

 Chlo. Potass. 



Total . 



•45 

 1'5G 

 2-71 

 1-99 

 •55 

 •08 

 4-00 

 2*48 

 M8 



•29 



1- 74 

 2.G6 



2- 45 

 •56 

 •10 



4-58 

 2-28 

 •37 



•67 

 2-14 

 2-86 

 1-58 

 •61 

 •03 

 9-01 

 1^96 

 2'44 



•18 

 1-74 

 1'82 

 1-44 

 •31 

 •10 

 5^25 



1- 09 



2- 32 



•32 

 2-46 

 2-22 

 2-24 



•48 



•05 

 7-12 



•98 

 1-92 



•13 

 I'Ol 

 1-70 

 •89 

 •29 

 •09 

 6^43 



'•72 



•34 



1- 77 



2- 33 

 1^76 



•47 

 •07 

 6-07 

 1-46 

 1-49 



15-00 



15-03 



21-33 



14^25 



17-79 



11-2D 



15.76 



