Sept. i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGIRCULTURIST. 
I was able to do from the result of a micros- 
copical examination of the sample confirmed by 
the examination of the solubility of the ash. 
One sam])le yielded 5-44 per cent of ash, of 
which 83-4o per cent was soluble in water. 
The other yielded o'38 per cent of ash, of 
whicli 78'8 per cent was sol\ible in water, 
lioasted coffee of course contains a higher per- 
centage of ash than raw cofl'ee. A sani])le of 
Liberiari coffee (raw) jprown in Ceylon yielded 
ash 4-23 per cent. 
In Levesie's table of analyses of coffee seeds 
already i[Uoted the total ash varied from 3'8 
to 4 9 per cent, shewing an average of 4-28 per 
cent, while tlie figure for Ceylon plantation was 
4 [)er cent. The following are additional deter- 
minations of the ash of coffee from Dr. Hassall's 
work on food and its adulterations: — 
Mineral Matter 
Coffee. 
Percentage. 
Total A.sh. Soluble Ash. 
Coffee 
... 4-75 — 
)» ... ..• 
... 4-50 — 
) ) ... ... 
... 4-17 — 
Mysore Coffee . . , 
... 429 3-53 
East India ,, 
... 4-07 3-24 
.lamaica ,, ... 
... 4-59 3-71 
Average 
... 4-56 3-49 
Xn interesting table of ash analyses of tlie 
different parts of the Brazilian coffee tree by 
H. Ludwig appeared in the Arc/iiv. der Phannacie 
wliich has been extracted without criticism for 
tiie article 'Coffee' in Thorpe's Dictionary of 
Applied Chemistry. I therefore quote them here, 
although I think it would be desirable if some 
other analyst would take the trouble to verify 
exi)erimentally, the results arrived at. Ludwig's 
figures shew a tendency of phosphoric acid to 
accumulate in the roots of old trees, the pro- 
portion in the ash of the root of an old coffee 
tree being about five times as great as in the 
ash of the root of a young coffee tree in bearing. 
The analyses undertaKen to investigate the etfect 
of different soils on the composition of the ash 
of the coffee beau yield very remarkable results. 
The limestone soil yielded a bean, the ash of 
which was poorer in lime and phosphoric acid 
than, but contained more than three times as 
much potash as, the ash of the bean grown on 
gneiss soil. The latter soil also yielded pro- 
portions of ferric oxide and sulphuric acid which 
■seem to me to be phenomenally high. .S<jda, which 
was absent from the ash of coffee beans analysed 
by I\Ie.ssrs. Graham, StenholniL' and Campbell was 
found in both cases by Ludwig to the extent of 
fully 5-8 percent. Alumina, which is iin ingredient 
very sparingly assimilated by plants was found 
in considerable proportion in the roots (young), 
1 eaves and parchment skin. 
-Ask Analysis of Parts of the Brazilian Coffee Tree. 
(H. Ludwig.) 
No. 1 Root of a young tree in bearing. 
2 I'oot of an old tree. 
3 Leaves. 
4 Pulp of the pericarp. 
5 Parchment-like coating of Coffee beans. 
G Coffee beans grown in gneiss soil. 
7 Coffee-beans grown in lime stone soil. 
CC 0 05 « CO 
p 00 00 O 05 
■ -* LO -* 00 .H 
a5 aj r~ Til 00 
O S ^0 C-l UO CO OS 1 
.tj ^ c-i — ■ 
CO 
-.t ■* -t 
— ^ 00 CO ip 
Tf lb 00 i; cb 
aj 00 i-O -t L'^ a) m 
o 1- CO ce CO 01 o 1 
oi 00 1 1 
135 
Oi 
a-. 
05 
15-87 
5-10 
21-92 
4-62 
7-12 
35 le 00 o 1- 
1 -71 01 Ol O^ o 1 
1 C5 ce CO 2 ' 
loo-ool 
CO aj re JO oc 
o o cc CO re 
oj ojcoceos-*. Tfoo 
0 o.-(«o;05cox 
g 2 ih ci> os co ■ 
— ' oi 
§ 
ic_re oi CO X 
c- — x m o 
O CO 
0' — 0 ce ce C5 CO 
■* CO 0 0) 05 10 "1 
' C5 6; — cb CO 1 
CO 
CO 
1 
01 
05 CO o> ce 
05 CO p CO O 
ce CO ti) "h lb 
CO 
0; 05 ce CO c CO 0 
S , 01 ce ce 01 1 
f. .1^ ;^ c- ^ ■ 1 
.3, — ' 
01 
0 
0 
0 
00 ■* Le o". 
c-i — . o — , ce 
CO O-H^ -* fO 
— OI 
0 CO 10 oc CO *.o 
— 10 O) oi 0 1 
1 - CD 1'^ 01 01 1 
01 
01 
0 
nj 
- O 
U3 c^ 
^ ^ C 
o o- 
The following are partial analyses by Mr. 
John Hughes of Parchment Coffee "from Badulla, 
Ceylon, and of partially drie d Coffee leaves: — 
Analyses of Ceylon Pare hment Coffee. — (HUGHKs) 
Water lo.st at 212" F... ... ... 13.31 
Fat ... ... ... ... ... 10-97 
•Other organic matter ... ... 72-42 
Mineral matter (ash) .. ... ... 3 30 
100-00 
1-47 
t con- 
1-349 
•065 
■193 
•219 
•260 
-076 
•921 
■028 
•094 
•095 
3-300 
Analyses of Partially-dried Coff'ee Leares. 
(Hughes.) 
Water lost at 212° F. ... ... ... 9-750 
* Organic matter .Holuble in water .. 23 760 
Mineral matter soluble in water . 3-880 
I' Organic matter insoluble in Nsaler ... 58-800 
Mineral matter insoluble in water ... 8-710 
* Containing Nitrogen... 
The total Mineial matter 3-30 per cen 
sisted of: — 
Potash 
Soda... 
Lime... 
Magnesia 
Pho.sphoric acid 
Culphuric acid 
arbonie acid 
lilorine 
ilica 
Oxide of iron... 
Containing nitrogen ... 
t Do do 
Total Xiirogen 
The total Miner.-il matter 
sisted of : — 
Potasli 
Suda... ... 
100-000 
•994 
1- 678 
2- 672 
•60 per cent con- 
2^07.S 
