Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-04
AGRICULTURAL PAPERS.
a SERIES PREPARED ESPECIALLY PoR
THE "RECoRD-UNIoN."
Presenting instruction Contained In Lect-
ures from the Chair of Agricult-
ure. State University

Having described the various fixed
acids, oxides and salts which constitute
tie ash of plants, we viii now notice their
occurrence in the ash.
The ash ingredients are found both in
the soluble and irsoluble forms. The solu-
bic part, which consists principally of the
salts of the alkalies and the sulphates and
chlorides of magnesium and lime, is found
dissolved in water in the juice or sap of
the plant and in the liquid contents of
the cells. The insoluble part, consisting
mainly of silica, phosphate of lime and
the magnesia compounds, is for the most
part imbedded or incrusted in the cell
walls of the plant. The proportion of ash
is not invariable, even in the same kind
and parts of plants. In given variety
of plants it differs with the age, and
with the different parts and conditions of
growth of the plant. The amount of ash
increases absolutely with the growth of
the plant, but decreases relatively that
Is, the amount of ash in young plants,
and in the younger parts OF plants, Is
greater in proportion to their weight than
It is in older plants, but the absolute
amount Of ash is greatest IN the Oldest
stage Of tie plant growth. The ash in
gradients are found in different proper
lions in different parts of the same plant.
In general the outer and upper, that Is,
the ycrnger and growing parts, contain the
largest proportion Of ash. The conditions CT
growth are known to influence the proper
ton of ASA obtained from plants. 1t has been
proven by many experiments that the more
vigorous and healthy
THE PLANT GROWTH,
The larger the proportion of ash found, and
vice versa. This is no doubt dae to the
relatively greater quantity of leaves put
forth by the strong plant, and hence to the
larger proportion of young and growing
parts. The ash composition is least liable
to vary in the seeds than in any other parts
of plants. The variation increases in the
stem and straw, and is quite large in tleshy
roots, but greatest of all in the tender and
succulent foliage. Wolff has from a large
number of analyses deduced the average
percentage for three classes of agricultural
products. He gives The ash percentage of
the cereal grains, leguminoas crops and on
plants to be respectively 2, 3 and 4 per
cent. of their dry weights; and the re-
spectiye percentage of the ash of the straws
to be 525. and $50 per cent. of dry
weights. From this we see that all dry
seeds contain more OF the ash ingredients
than do starchy seeds, and that the reverse
is true of the straws. These ash ingredi-
ents have been found to be actually indis
pensable to plant growth. Chemical anal
ysis never fails to find them present to some
extent in every species and order of the
vegetable kingdom. The presence of this
small quantity of fixed matter seems to be
actually necessary to the first stages Of veg
citation, and to the organization and assim-
ilation Of other matter. Many experiments
have been made to test the truth of this,
but owing to the invariable presence of
some of the ash ingredients in all seeds
it has been impossible to experiment on the
growth of plants in medium absolutely
free from the constituents OF ash. Seeds
have, however, been caused to sprout and
grow in
PERFECTLY INSoLUBLE MEDIUM.
They were found to make healthy growth
jast SO long az the ash ingredients of the
seed which during termination were car
ried up into the seeding, held out but as
soon as these gave out the plantlet dropped
and died. Toe seedlings were now col
lected and burned, and the weight of their
ash was found to be almost, if net quite,
identical with the weight OF ash which was
derived from burning a number OF the
same kinds of seeds equal to the number of
plants burned.
The ingredients which are invariably
found in the ash OF plants have already
been enumerated. They are potassium,
sodium, lime, msgnesia, peroxide of iron
(bases), chlorine. and sulphuric, phosphoric,
silicic and carbonic acids. OF these, po-
tassium. lime, magnesia, phosphoric and
sulphuric acids are absolutely necessary to
the life of plants. Soda is an extremely
variable constituent OF the ash, being often
found in quite large quantities, and again
only in traces. Though often present in
very large quantities, and almost always at
least in traces, it is thought that while ad-
vantageous in the early stages, its presence
is not absolutely necessary, but that its
presence is necessary in greater or less
quantities for the perfection of the fruit
The foliage and succulent parts of the
plant generally contain very considerable
amount of this substance which is acct
dental, and hence not necessary to the
plant. 1t was once thought that sodium
could replace potassium in plants, but it
has been ascertained that the soda which
seemed to replace potash was accidental,
as was also the seemingly replaced POTASH
UNI. That is to say, if potash is replaced
by soda, then the part which was so re-
placed was over and above the required
and normal amount of potash of the plant, !
and hence was
NOT ESSENTIAL TO THE PLANT
And therefore the soda, in all probability,
took no part nor performed any OF the
functions OF potash in the plant. 1t ap.
pears as if potassium stood in the same
relation to plants as sodium docs to ami
mails, and it is not probable that the func-
lions of the one could be performed by the
other in either case. The oxide Of iron is
essential to plants, especially in their early
growth, 1t seeming to act as a sort Of tonic
or stimulant to TIE young plant. Iron is
required only in minute quantities, but
often occurs as high as or 10 per cent.
in the ash, in which case it is mainly acct
dental, j. G., the most of it is over and
above the necessary amount.
What has been said Of sodium will
apply almost equally as well to chlorine
II is not absolutely essential to plant life,
but seems in small quantities to be neces-
sary for perfect development OF the seed
Chlorine is, as would naturally be expected,
very abundant in the ash Of plants which
grow in saline soils and with chlorine as
with sodium, much of it is sometimes acct
dental.
Silica, although naturally always present,
Is an clement which has been proven to be
not indispensable to crops. Although found
in all parts of the plant it is most abundant
on the outside and lower parts OF the plant.
Silica is an element which, although often
present in quantities ranging from 20 to 96
per cent. OF the ash, is almost always
present in sufficient quantities for full veg
etable development in all soas, and need
never be artifcially applied.
FUNCTIONS.
Very little is definitely known of the |
exact functions OF the ash Ingredients of
plants. The presence OF sulphates seems
necessary, in order to supply the sulphur
for the albuminoids, which have 10 other
source from which to draw the needed sup |
r,lv The essential oils of many Y1iarts a. /