188 



Analyses of Ashes of Plants, 



portant ingredient than the bulbs ; they also contain a very much 

 larger proportion of magnesia. The alkalies predominate in the 

 bulbs, whilst common salt, although abundantly present in both, 

 is found in larger quantity in the leaf as it is in that of the turnip. 



A table of the mineral contents of a ton of entire beet, bulb 

 and top^ will show us how far the differences between the speci- 

 mens are destroyed by the joint effect of the bulb and leaf ash. 



Table 15.— Mineral Matter (in pounds) in a ton of entire crop of 



Beet. 



No. of Specimen. 



106 



107 



108 



Mean 

 of 



Variety. 



Yellow Globe. 



Long 

 Red. 



Long 

 Red. 



the tliree 

 Specimens, 



Relation of Bulb to 1 

 Leaf . . . ) 



B. 85 at 1*02 ash. 

 L. 15 „ 1-40 „ 



88-0-64 

 12-1-79 



80-1 - 00 

 20-1-91 





Silica .... 

 Phosphoric Acid . 

 Sulphuric Acid . 

 Lime .... 

 Magnesia 

 Peroxide of Iron . 

 Potash .... 

 Soda .... 

 Chloride of Sodium 

 Chloride of Potassium 



0- 54 



1- 16 

 0-96 

 0-82 

 0-81 

 0-21 

 4-98 

 4-29 

 6-57 



0-29 

 0-50 

 0-62 

 0-63 

 0-59 

 0-11 

 4-07 

 0-54 

 7-88 



0-86 



0- 94 



1- 12 

 1-17 

 1-28 

 0-13 

 7-56 

 3-91 

 5-09 



0-56 

 0-87 

 0-90 

 0-87 

 0-89 

 0-15 



5- 54 

 2-91 



6- 51 



Total . . 



20-34 



15-23 



22-06 



19-20 



Here Specimen 107 is found to be still unlike its neighbours : 

 it contains, indeed, a smaller amount of all the ingredients with 

 the exception of common salt, which forms one-half of the total 

 mineral matter of the plant. Twenty tons of beet (including the 

 tops) might, according to this calculation, take up from the soil 

 ]i cwt. of common salt. It is difficult to say whether this is 

 really essential to the plant ; we have no alternative^ however, at 

 present but to believe that it is ; and the resemblance of the three 

 specimens in this particular substance justifies such a belief. It 

 is plain, then, that a top-dressing of salt may benefit either turnips 

 or beet ; but especially the latter, by supplying a substance abso- 

 lutely required. A dose of 3 cwt. to the acre will not be consi- 

 sidered large when it is known that half of it is required by a 

 good crop, and from its solubility much must be wasted before 

 the plant can appropriate it. The quantity of common salt in tur- 

 nips and beet demands our serious attention, from the influence 

 which it must exert upon the constitutions of animals which are 

 fed with these roots. 



