The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-09-24

|
metto" is popularity applied to several
related but by no means identical
species, and the analyses may not
always have been made Of the same
plant, and this also may have added
to the confusion on the subject. The
writer does not profess to be able
to explain all these discrepancies in
published analyses. He simply bcgs
to submit what he himself found in a
single analytical determination of
mature root of the ordinary saw pal
metto (sabal seruloto) and which
was obtained about two miles SOUTH
west of Tallahassee, and was grown
in a rather low spot in the ordinary
reddish clay soil of this part of the
state.
First, The green root freshly gath
cred was examined the same day 1t
was obtained, and found to contain
$3.50 per cent. of water, and $3.50
per cent. of dry fibre. The propor-
ton of ash to the green root was
found to be .92 of one per cent, or
1874 pounds to the ton. In prepar-
ing this ash great care was taken TO
remove all adhering silica, which
under ordinary conditions of burning
makes up large part of the so-called
"palmetto ASH" This ash gave 24.4o
per cent. of potash (K2O) and 8.87
per cent. of phosphoric acid (P2O).
The remaining portion of the ash
consists of silica, lime, soda, magne-
sia, oxide of iron, oxide Of manganese,
soda, etc. The exact amounts Of
these elements found may be given
when the writer has time to complete
his Investigations. In other words:
a ton 5000 pounds) of perfectly clean
and freshly dug palmetto roots
contains, eighteen and four-tenths
pounds of ash. But as only thirty
five and seventy-hundredths Of this
is dry fibre, and the remainder water
it follows that one ton $1,000 pounds)
of the dried material will give fifty
one and fifty-four hundredths
pounds of pure ash, containing
twelve and sixty-seven hundredths
pounds Q2.67) Of potash and
four and seventy-one hundredths
pounds (4.7D of phosphoric acid.
Estimating the former at five and a
half cents (51) and the latter at
five cents will give value Of
little over ninety-two cents (.92) for
these eliments in one ton of clean
and perfectly dry roots. Other IN
gradients present, lime, magnesia, etc.
somewhat increase this 80 that the
real manuriai value of the ash from a
ton Of dry palmetto roots may be
safely estimated at about one dollar.
This, however, is very far from
representing the ash as ordinarily ob-
tained. If the palmetto root is ex-
amined it will be found to be covered
with the sheathing remains of the
decayed leaf stalks -"petioles."
Underneath these and concealed from
ordinary observation will always be
found more or less sand and earthly
material accumulated in the process
of growth. No amount of ordinary
washing or shaking will remove this.
Nor will it's presence be suspected
unless this clasping fbrous petiole is
removed. A rough estimate which
l made indicated that at least one
pound Of sand is concealed on each
ten pounds of root. Assuming even
half of this as the average, to obtain
ton of real roots we must gather
2,l0O pounds of apparently clean
roots. If we burn this material We
shall get not only the 1874 pounds of
real ash, but also mixed with it the
100 or more pounds of sand, which OF
course does not burn. Nearly 100
pounds OF what seems to be ash will
be obtained, with corresponding
diminution Of the amount of phospho-
ric acid AMI potash present.
10 point of fact judging from the
samples Of palmetto ash which l have
received for analysis the ordinary
process of open field burning gives
even a larger percentage of sand
than this. | never yet have seen a
sample OF palmetto ash from an ordi
nary producer that gave over six per
cent. OF actual potash, showing that
in some way, ash produced in open
fires On the silicious soil of Florida is
likely to be at least fve-sixths sand.
One question which seems to have
puzzled a goo! many people it may
| not be amiSs to refer To Tho y,r;tar
by goodly number Of soil analyse
has demonstrated that some soils in
Florida are very deficient in potash
and from geological and other con-
sideratlons has pointed out the proba-
bility that all or nearly all are so.
The question has naturally been
asked how 1t can be that plant that
consumes 40 much potash as the
palmetto can flourish on a soil so re-