Analyses of Ihe Ashes of Plants. 
IGO 
500 grains of turnip burnt over the gas-lamp gave l'G7 of 
chloride of silver = •412 of chlorine, or •824 on 1000 grains of 
turnip. 
500 burnt at a very high temperature in the furnace, and 
the heat maintained for more than half an hour, gave 1-40 
chloride of silver = • 3445 chlorine, or -089 on 1000 grains of 
turnip. 
The experiments here detailed might be thought conclusive 
on the subject, but we were anxious to ascertain whether in the 
presence of a larger per centage of phosphoric acid, with also a 
greater absolute quantity of a chloride, and still further with a 
silicions ash, the loss of chlorine in burning would be of conse- 
quence. An artifcial subject for experiment was therefore made 
in the following jnanner : — 
26 "39 grains of common salt and 45*39 grains of sulphate of 
potash* were dissolved in 1000 grains of water and poured over 
2000 grains of barley (which had been previously examined to 
prove the absence of chlorine). The mixture was carefully heated 
so as to evaporate the liquid in contact with the barley; the 
barley was then burnt ; it burnt with difficulty on account of the 
quantity of salt jiresent, and the heat being high, the ash was 
jiartly fused. The ash was dissolved in 5000 grains of water and 
nitric acid. To 2000 grains of this liquid nitrate of silver was 
added; the chloride of silver weighed 24" 61 grains = 0*07 
chlorine, or 15' 17 on the whole ash. 
The chlorine in the common salt is . . 15 '93 
That found ill the ash . . , . 15'17 
Leaving a loss of. . . . . "16 grains 
of chlorine in the burning, in circumstances most favour- 
able for the occurrence of such loss. 
In other words, supposing in a silicious and highly phosphoric 
ash 25 per cent, of common salt to be present, analysis would 
indicate something more than 24 per cent, of this substance ; so 
that in an extreme case the loss of this substance would be prac- 
tically insignificant. It is plainly possible to lose chlorine in the 
burning of plants ; and every tyro knows that the chlorides of po- 
tassium and sodium are capable of dissipation at a high tempera- 
ture. All that it is here wished to assert is, that the burning of 
plants, if carefully conducted, is not attended with a sensible loss 
of chlorine, and when this is found to occur, it is more probably 
due to volatilization of the chlorides than to any other cause. 
* The sulphate of potash was added here to make the experiment serve 
a double purpose. 
