of  the  Ashes  of  Plants. 
519 
being  substituted  in  the  six-course  system  for  the  second  year’s 
seeds)  ; it  was  partly  manured  with  box-manure. 
No.  2 is  the  entire  straw  of  very  luxuriant  flax,  averaging 
4 feet  in  length,  and  giving  a very  coarse  fibre,  also  grown  by 
Mr.  Warnes. 
The  straws  are  in  each  case  divested  of  the  husk  or  seed 
envelope,  but  in  every  other  respect  in  the  state  in  which  they 
left  the  field. 
By  these  analyses  we  are  led  to  believe  that  coarse  flax  not 
only  removes  from  the  soil  a greater  amount  of  ash  than  a finer 
specimen  of  the  plant,  but  that  the  ash  contains  a higher  per 
centage  of  potash  than  that  of  fine  flax-  Further  on  will  be 
found  a comparison  of  the  two  spdciiUens  in  this  particular. 
We  next  exhibit  the  analyses  of  two  specimens  of  linseed,  of 
which  No.  3 was  the  produce  of  the  specimen  of  fine  flax  just 
described.  No.  4 was  grown  bv  H.R. H.  Prince  Albert  at  the 
farm  in  Windsor  Park,*  the  flax  which  produced  it  being  of  a 
very  luxuriant  character. 
Per  centage  of  Water,  Ash,  and  Sulphur,  in  Linseed  : — 
No.  3. 
Mr.  Warnes. 
Water 12-33 
Ash  2-68 
Ash  on  dry  substance  . 3-05 
Sulphur  on  1000  grains'!  9.30 
of  undried  specimen  j 
The  composition  of  the  ash  being  as  follows  : — 
Composition  in  100  parts  of  the  Ash  of  Linseed: — 
No.  3. 
Mr.  Warnes. 
No.  4. 
H.  R.  H. 
Prince  Albert. 
Mean  of  the 
two 
Analyses. 
Silica 
1-46 
1-45 
1-45 
Phosphoric  Acid 
35-99 
41-09 
38-54 
Sulphuric  Acid 
1-43 
1 69 
1-56 
Carbonic  Acid  . 
• • 
•43 
•22 
Lime 
9-43 
7-35 
8-40 
Magnesia  .... 
16-23 
9-99 
13-11 
Peroxide  of  Iron 
•38 
•61 
•50 
Potash 
32-55 
35-79 
34-17 
Soda 
2-51 
•SS 
1-69 
Chloride  of  Potassium  . 
• • 
... 
• • 
Chloride  of  Sodium 
trace. 
•72 
•36 
Total  .... 
100-00 
100-00 
100-00 
The  ash  of  linseed  is  evidently  of  the  richest  character;  in  com- 
position it  nearly  approaches  that  of  wheat,  whilst  in  quantity  it 
* Major-General  Wemyss  was  good  enough  to  send  this  specimen  to  the  laboratory 
at  the  request  of  Mr.  Warnes. 
No.  4. 
H.R.H.  Prince  Albert. 
11-00 
. 3-30 
• 3-68 
1-60 
