OF SEVERAL JAPANESE FERTILIZERS. 
31 
XIV. Wood and Straw Ashes. 
The ashes resulting from charcoal and wood lire as 
well as specially prepared straw ashes represent an article 
of trade in the larger Japanese towns and are widely applied 
as manure. A mixture ’of 5 specimens of either kinds 
bought in Tokyo was analyzed by Mr. M. Naijaoka, as¬ 
sistant in the laboratory. The percentage composition was 
as follows :— 
Water . 
Wood ash. 
4.13 
Straw asli. 
3.09 
Carbon. 
1.22 
5.80 
Mineral matters . 
94.65 
91.11 
Potash. 
11.68 
1.19 
Soda... 
1.68 
0.90 
Lime. 
30.27 
2.25 
Magnesia. 
6.54 
1.84 
Ferric oxide and alumina 
2.67 
1.35 
Phosphoric acid . 
8.91 
2.09 
Sulphuric acid. 
1.49 
0.19 
Carbon dioxide. 
11.20 
— 
Silica and sand . 
22.45 
74.00 
Chlorine . 
0.58 
1.13 
The wood as well as the charcoal uséd in this country as 
fuel is chiefly made from deciduous trees (oak and chestnut), 
while for the preparation of the straw ashes most kinds of 
