Analyses of Ashes of Plants. 



185 



concerned. For the same reason no very decided conclusion is to 

 be drawn concerning the proportion of water; in the three specimens 

 (106, 107:, 108) it is remarkably constant both in the bulbs and 

 tops, and were it fair to decide from these we should say that, 

 weight for weight, beet contains less solid matter than turnips. 

 The other instances (109, 110) would interfere very much with 

 this constancy; but although we have given the proportion of 

 water as we found it, we confess that the results in those two spe- 

 cimens are somewhat questionable ; the leaves were cut off before 

 the roots were sent to us, and some water might have escaped by 

 evaporation from the wounds. 



I'here is nothing to make us doubt that, had a larger number of 

 specimens been examined, the per centage of ash in mangold 

 would have proved equally variable as that of turnip. In fact, in 

 the five cases in the table, one specimen is seen to contain twice 

 as much mineral matter as another. 



The per centage of ash of beet does not greatly differ from that 

 of turnips either in bulbs or tops. 



The composition of the ash next requires notice. The analyses 

 are placed side by side, in order that a comparison may be in- 

 stituted between them.. 



Table 11.-— Composition of the Ash of Beet-bulb (in 100 parts). 



No. of Specimen. 



106 



107 



108 



Mean 

 of 



Variety. 



Yellow 

 Globe. 



Long 

 Eed. 



Long 

 Red. 



the three 

 Specimens. 



Per Centage of Ash 



1-02 



0-64 



1-00 





Silica .... 

 Phosphoric Acid . 

 Sulphuric Acid . 

 Carbonic Acid 

 Lime .... 

 Magnesia 

 Peroxide of Iron . 

 Potash .... 

 Soda .... 

 Chloride of Sodium 

 Chloride of Potassium 



2-22 

 4-49 

 3*68 

 18'14 

 1-78 

 1-75 

 0-74 



23- 54 

 19' 08 



24- 54 



1-40 

 1-65 

 3-14 



15-23 

 1-90 

 1-79 

 0-52 



21'68 

 3' 13 



49-51 



4-11 

 3-11 

 3-31 

 21'61 

 2-17 

 2-79 

 0-56 

 29-05 

 19-05 

 14-18 



2- 57 



3- 08 

 3-37 



18-32 

 1 -95 

 2-11 

 0-60 

 24-79 

 13-75 

 29-41 



Total . . 



99-96 



99-95 



99-94 



99-95 



