I 
Oil the Fairy-rings of Pastures. 
551 
Here then we have an ash of extraordinary richness in some of the 
inorganic elements of vegetable life. The phosphoric acid and potash 
are as nearly as possible in the proportion to form the tribasic phos- 
phate (^K 0, P O5), and as such no doubt they exist. It is highly de- 
liquescent, and therefore renders the ash peculiarly liable to attract 
moisture. 
It will be seen that the phosphate of potash constitutes nearly 86 
per cent, of the whole ash — a quantity of this substance which does 
not exist, as far as I am aware, in the ash of any other vegetable sub- 
stance, wheat not excepted. It is to be observed that the fungi contain a 
great quantity of nitrogen. In decaying, as they did about the end of 
Miiy, when the dry warm weather set in, they did not appear to become de- 
tached from their roots, but merely to shrivel up, without, as far as I 
could ascertain, giving off any putrid smell. On the other hand, if 
gathered and placed in a heap, they rapidly ferment, running into a 
liquid of the most disgustingly putrid smell, in every way resembling 
that of decomposing animal matter. 
The grass which formed the ring was more than twice the height of 
the general grass of the pasture. It consisted principally of the peren- 
nial rye-grass (^Loliuin licrenne^ L.) and cock's-foot (^Dactylis glo- 
merata, L.) The interior of the ring was occupied in great measure 
by tlie soft Brome grass (JBromus mollis, L.), and other inferior and 
short-lived species. 
The grass of the ring gave on burning an ash of a deliquescent cha- 
racter, having the following composition : — 
Ash of Grass of Fairy-ring. 
Silica . . . 
16' 
•10 
Lime . 
10' 
■47 
Magnesia . . 
2' 
•49 
Peroxide Iron 
2' 
•93 
Phosphoric Acid 
6' 
54 
Sulphuric Acid 
5- 
40 
Carbonic Acid . 
12' 
•47 
Potash 
35' 
•23 
Soda 
none. 
Chloride Sodium 
5' 
•79 
91 • 
•42 
Upon comparing the composition of the ash of the grass with that of 
the fungi, it will be seen that the former contains phosphoric acid and 
potash in considerable quantity, although by no means to the extent of 
the fungus. It must be remembered, however, that the grass, besides 
being in far greater quantity, contains also more than twice the amount 
of ash yielded by the agaric. 
On the foregoing analyses I think we may clearly explain the whole 
growth of the Fairy-rings. A fungus is developed on a single spot of 
ground, sheds its seed, and dies. On the spot wheie it grew it leaves 
a valuable manuring of phosphoric acid and alkalies, some magnesia, 
and a little sulphate of lime. Another fungus might undoubtedly grow 
