Report on the Analysis of the Ashes of Plants, 597 
cereals. The iise of rich animal manures, which are l<no\vn to 
increase the proportion of gluten in wheat, must be accompanied 
with a plentiful supply of phosphates, otherwise they would fail 
to produce the desired effect, or in producing it they would 
greatly exhaust the soil. 
Many other cases might be mentioned of the important results 
likely to follow from a systematic and sufficiently extended in- 
vestigation into the mineral constituents of plants. Let the fore- 
going, however, suffice to indicate the importance of the research 
upon which we have entered. 
Circumstances have obliged us to direct our attention at once 
to the more difficult portion of the inquiry — the influence 
(namely) which soil, climate, and locality exert upon the charac- 
ter of the mineral components of plants. And the same causes 
have led us to commence with wheat, concerning which v.e have 
gained considerable information. 
We have thought it desirable to ascertain the per centage of 
ash over a very much larger number of specimens than could 
possibly be submitted to complete analysis, and as some other 
particulars of these specimens have been obtained, they have been 
considered worthy of individual description. 
We feel that whatever opinions of a practical and theoretical 
nature we may venture to express from the great familiarity with 
the subject which such a research cannot fail to produce, our 
duty to the Society is to furnish its members with every informa- 
tion which will enable them to draw their own conclusions ; and 
we have therefore given a full account of all the specimens upon 
which any attention has been bestowed. 
It will be seen that we have estimated the relative weight of 
grain, straw, and chaff, on a very large number of specimens of 
wheat. 
For the express purpose of obtaining very perfect samples, 
long calico bags were forwarded to the different parties who were 
kind enough to furnish us with specimens. In these the heads 
with the straw attached were thoroughly enveloped, so that they 
reached us in a state of perfect integrity. 
The relation of the different parts was ascertained by rubbing 
out the grain of 30 or 40 heads, separating every portion of chaff" 
from the straw, and carefully weighing the three products. That 
this method is capable of giving good average results we have 
proved by determining the proportion of the different parts on a 
very much larger quantity than that above named. 
The latter estimation has been found to agree very nearly 
with that on the smaller scale. In order that this point may be 
clearly understood, we subjoin the particulars of several cases. 
