so 
ANALYSIS OF THE OAT.-NO. 2, 
ANALYSIS OP THE OAT.—No 2. 
(B)—Of the Quality of the Ash from the 
SEVERAL PARTS BEFORE MENTIONED.— This series of 
analyses by Mr. Fromberg has already involved a 
very great amount of labor, and is not yet by any 
means finished, extending only over 7 weeks of the 
14, in which the determinations of the quantity of 
Composition of 
ash were made. They extend to the 16th of July; 
and, so far as they go, present a complete view of 
the curious and interesting changes which take 
place during the development of the various parts 
of the plant. As before, I will place the leaf 
first. 
Table 6. 
Ask from the Leaf 
of unripe Oats at 
different periods 
of growth .—Per¬ 
haps the most 
striking feature 
in this table is the 
gradual disappear¬ 
ance of the chlo¬ 
ride of sodium 
(common salt); 
Day of the Month 
received. 
June 4. 
June 11. 
June 18. 
June 25. 
July 2. 
July 9. | 
July 16. 
Potash and Soda, 
24.60 
23.51 
26.21 
28.10 
18.78 
16.09 
18.35 
Chloride of Sodium, 
16.34 
13.54 
11.30 
7.56 
7.92 
4.09 
0.30 
Lime, 
8.44 
7.24 
7.33 
6.74 
6.91 
5.93 
5.13 
Magnesia, - 
5.33 
3.11 
3.47 
3.06 
2.39 
2.35 
1.63 
Oxide of Iron, 
0.61 
0.52 
0.72 
0.99 
0.40 
0.34 
0.55 
Sulphuric Acid, - 
11.74 
12.85 
10.59 
7.88 
9.50 
6.45 
13.05 
Phosphoric Acid, 
16.16 
10.57 
10.12 
8.76 
6.92 
6.44 
2.91 
Silica, 
16.58 
28.54 
30.31 
36.50 
47.62 
58.28 
58.22 
99.80 
99.88 
100.05 
”99.59 
100.14 
99.97 1 100.14 
from 16 per cent., in 7 weeks it decreased to less 
than a third of one per cent. A large quantity of soda 
yet remains, nearly all in the state of sulphate, no 
doubt. The phosphoric acid, too, disappears in a 
great degree. There were at first probably phos¬ 
phates of potash and soda, but these must have 
left the leaf to supply the grain, and on the 16th 
July the small quantity of phosphoric acid left was 
nearly all in combination with lime, magnesia, and: 
iron. The oxide of iron seems to have fluctuated 
Of the Compo¬ 
sition of Ash from 
the Stalks of the 
Unripe Plant .— 
The decrease in 
the quantity of 
chloride of sodi¬ 
um is here also 
very remarkable, 
from 32| to 4! per 
cent. The phos¬ 
phoric acid con- 
in its proportions less than any of the other sub¬ 
stances. 
Table 7. 
Day of the Month received. 
June 4. 
June 11. 
June 18. 
June 25. 
July 2. 
July 9. 
July 16. 
Potash and Soda, - 
24.94 
21.45 
26.49 
28.86 
36.26 
30.10 
42.43 
Chloride of Sodium, 
32.66 
34.65 
24.94 
24.57 
11.62 
17.82 
4.46 
Lime, - 
2.40 
4.22 
3.74 
2.42 
2.64 
1.60 
4.12 
Magnesia, 
0.88 
3.20 
2.20 
2.58 
1.17 
2.27 
1.47 
Oxide of Iron, 
0.39 
0.30 
0.40 
0.58 
0.88 
0.68 
0.62 
Sulphuric Acid, 
6.15 
7.82' 
8.51 
4.87 
7.98 
9.09 
7.84 
Phosphoric Acid, 
16.15 
13.96 
12.55 
7.81 
2.21 
5.57 
6.31 
Silica, 
16.29 
14.32 
20.41 
28.08 
36.64 
32.39 
34.85 
99.86 
99.92 | 
99.24 
99.77 
99.40 
99.52 
100.33 
tinued without much variation until the 25th June, 
when the oat itself began to form; by the 2d of 
July the oats had shot up from the stalk and become 
visible; in that week a marked and sudden de¬ 
crease took place in the phosphoric acid. In the 
two succeeding weeks it began again to increase. 
No very great changes seem to have taken place 
in the other constituents, excepting the gradual 
increase of silica. The composition of the stalk on 
Composition of Ash from the whole Oat , at different 
periods of its growth. —During these three weeks the 
oat attained nearly its full length, but was yet quite 
green, and the grain had scarcely begun to form in the 
interior of the husk. The above table, therefore, only 
enables us to compare the earliest part of its growth 
with the latest as afterwards given. The diminution of 
chlorine is, however, to be noticed as very great in the 
short space of three weeks. I think the large quantity 
of sulphuric acid present at this time would have 
diminished, as I have seldom found so much in the 
ash of the ripe oat. 
Comparative View of the Composition of the Ash 
from the Leaf, Stalk, Oat, Knots, and Chaff, on the 
16th of July. —[See Table 9.]—On the 16th of 
July the plant was in the midst of its most rapid 
growth, and just half-way between the time when 
the 16th of July differs very greatly from that of 
a mature stalk, as will afterwards be seen. It was 
then still green and vigorous, growing rapidly, and 
serving as a canal for the conveyance of a great 
portion of their food to the other parts of thej 
plant. The inorganic ingredients, therefore, might 
be expected to vary, as we see them, with the' 
fluctuations of temperature more or less favorable 
to vegetable growth. 
Table 8. 
Day of the Month 
received. 
July 2. 
July 9. 
July 16. 
Potash and Soda, - 
Chloride of Sodium, 
Lime, 
Magnesia, 
Oxide of Iron, 
Sulphuric Acid, 
Phosphoric Acid, - 
Silica, - 
32.92 
10.37 
2.70 
3.44 
0.39 
10.35 
14.02 
24.40 
31.31 
8.10 
5.40 
4.52 
0.21 
12.78 
20.09 
17.05 
31,37 
0.61 
6.76 
2.94 
0.35 
16.42 
15.19 
26.05 
98.59 
99.46 
99.69 
it appeared above ground in June, and when it was 
cut on the 3d of September. In the table on 
the following page will be found a comparison of 
the a?h from these parts of the plant when fully 
matured. 
