WHEAT. 
this does not appear a usual occurrence. We have 
not certainly examined any specimens grown in soils 
where the total absence of the other alkali would 
necessitate a plant to assimilate soda; but were this 
possible without great injury to the health of the 
plant, or defect in quality and quantity of the produce, 
why do we not find it more frequently the case? If 
it be indifferent to the plant whether the alkali fur- 
nished it be potash or soda, why should the quantity 
of the latter seldom exceed a sixth part of the for- 
mer? Again, in guano we have always abundance 
of common salt and other salts of soda, and yet in 
Spec. 26, where guano was applied, the proportion 
of soda does not exceed the mean, which is 2°72. 
Chlorine in combination with sodium as common salt, 
will be seen to be present in some two or three speci- 
mens of wheat, but only in very minute quantity; and 
it is singular that in two of the three instances where it 
occurs, an unusually large proportion of oxide of iron 
is also present, as if the same circumstances had led 
to the peculiarity in both cases. Possibly in these 
instances the wheat was not fully matured, and these 
bodies would come under the title of ‘ accidental in- 
gredients.’ The absence of soda in any quantity, 
either as soda or as common salt, from both the grain 
and straw, would seem incompatible with the state- 
ment to which much attention has lately been drawn, 
that common salt is a manure for wheat; or rather 
perhaps we should say, that it is an argument in fa- 
vour of the theory which supposes the existence of 
two distinct classes of manures—one serving as food 
for plants, the other assisting in preparing that food, 
or in effecting some other desirable object in the 
&| Variety Soil. "5 <q 
S of a r= 
: S ro) i 
iS) =| a 5 
a 0) Pa 2) 
26| Creeping, Clay and sand, 73°57 | 5:51 | 2:14 
27| Ditto, Ditto, 69°66 | 6°62 | 3:95 
{28} Ditto, Calcareous rubble, | 69:94 | 8:54 | 2:33 
40} Hopeton, . | Sand, 9°36 | 5:24 | 4:45 
42| Ditto, Silicious sand, . 67:10 | 7:05 | 5°59 
44 Red-straw Silicious sandy 70:50 | 5°77 | 3°31 
white, loam, 
45| Ditto, Cacareous brash, 71:49 | 3:37 | 2:28 
46} Ditto, Clay loam, MAGS 2p ora Ln! m2e2't 
: Calcareous clay q aye ; 
48| Ditto, 4 mae i 66-13 | 8:85 | 2:23 
The variation in the composition of the mixed ash 
of the several specimens in the table is not very 
great. Sulphuric acid and lime are present in con- 
siderable quantity in the straw, but the specimen of 
chaff which we have examined did not contain the 
former, and the latter only in small quantity. We 
Mineral mat- | Mineral mat- 
703 
amelioration of the soil. In the first of these ways, 
common salt certainly can have no influence on wheat: 
it cannot serve as food for the wheat crop, because 
it is not required, and the little soda existing in the 
ash, if essential, is always abundantly supplied by 
the soil. Common salt probably owes its efficacy in 
part to the power which it possesses of absorbing and 
retaining moisture—a tendency which would insure 
a certain though small supply of moisture to the 
roots in the driest seasons: it is also poisonous to the 
wire-worm and other depredators on this crop. We 
find, then, that in the ash of different specimens of 
wheat deviations in the proportions of its several in- 
gredients occur, which, although they do not destroy 
the principle of uniformity of composition upon which 
the whole interest of the subject depends, yet tend 
very materially to interfere with its simplicity. 
** It will be seen that we have only in one in- 
stance analyzed the ash of straw and chaff sepa- 
rately (spec. 46). In the other instances the straw 
was burnt with the quantity of chaff belonging to it 
—very perfect and unbroken specimens of average 
length being selected. It will be manifest that, 
however desirable a separate analysis in each case 
might be, the time involved by it will not admit of 
such a proceeding. ‘The agricultural distribution of 
the crop is divided into grain, and straw, and chaff, 
the ash of the former being entirely removed, that 
of the latter being returned to the soil from the ma- 
nure heap. The following table exhibits the ana- 
lyses of nine specimens of wheat straw, with the 
proportion of chaff belonging to it :— 
Blog |g 
= d S Sarees 
< eo the 2 Di ean ie 
s| ¢ Ee 3 g a | 5) 8 2 
gE s | 24d ¢l¢4 
Se Se aoe a ea |S 
Tele OM aOLOMelOro mi le03 15:40 | 4°22 
746 |} 1:56 | 0:28 | 10°31 | 0-13 13°04 | 4:60 
4-94 |} 1:48 | 0:06 | 12°48 | 0:25 16°54 | 4:30 
-.| 6:96 | 1:45 | 0°73 | 11-79 | ... 11:77 | 4:07 
4:44 | 3:27 | 1:54 |10:03 | 0°85 |...] 10:36 | 4:16 
3:53 | 3:29 | 0-14 | 12°76 | 0-68 |...| 13°78 | 4-68 
T:34 | 3:53) eld |) 9°47 1) 1°39) 8.2) 7-04) 2°74: 
D635 melon Ml Ostou| loro Ompee29N ees | ano 4 mea O) 
6°82 | 3°62 | 0°54 | 11°76 4:95 
9°63 
give here a table of the quantity of the different mi- 
neral matters contained in a ton of straw and of 
chaff; and also, for comparison, a calculation of the 
average quantity of these substances removed by the 
grain, straw, and chaff of an acre, calculated as be- 
fore at 28 bushels of 61 lbs. 
Removed from an Acre, 
ters in 100 ters in 100 In a ton of In a ton of In 28 bushels | In 2109 lbs. 
parts of parts of Straw. Chaff. of Grain, at | of Straw and 
Straw Ash. Chaff Ash. 61 lbs. Chaff (18 
(1792 Ibs.) cwt. 91 lbs.) 
ibs. oz Ibs. 0z lbs. 02 Ibs. oz. 
Silica, 63:89 81:22 60 0 172 3 1 0; 83 
Phosphoric acid, 2°75 4°31 2 8 Oe 12 13 7 3 
Sulphuric acid, 3°09 ee 2 14 &? 0 155 3 12 
Lime, . ‘ 7:42 1-88 7 0 4 0 1 053 Conta 
Magnesia, 1°94 1°27 1 13 2011 3 83 213 
Peroxide of iron, 0°45 0°37 0 6 0 14 0 35 0 10 
Potash, 17°98 9:14 Wee 19 6 8 15 13 15 
Soda, . : 2-47 1:79 2 5 3 12 0 12,3, 0 13 
99:99 99:98 93 14 212 O 28 6,5 119 11 | 
