------------------------+---------------+-------------+------------+
Dogwood.| Sycamore. | Post oak. | Ash. |
_Cornus_ | _Platanus_ | _Q._ | _F._ |
_florida._|_occidentalis._|_obtusiloba._|_Americana._|
------------------------+---------------+-------------+------------+
Potash | 9.02 | 18.06 | 16.85 | 14.94 |
Phosphoric acid| 5.72 | 9.55 | 6.96 | 1.15 |
Lime | 6.41 | 24.73 | 35.61 | 7.60 |
Magnesia | 14.67 | .49 | 5.28 | .10 |
---------------+--------+---------------+-------------+------------+
------------------------+------------+-------+--------------+
Red | Hickory. | White | Magnolia. |
oak. | _Carya_ | oak. | _M._ |
_Q._ |_tomentosa._| _Q._ |_grandiflora._|
_rubra._| |_alba._| |
---------------+--------+------------+-------+--------------+
Potash | 13.95 | 13.80 | 10.60 | 7.13 |
Phosphoric acid| 5.98 | 5.83 | 2.49 | 3.19 |
Lime | 27.40 | 18.40 | 7.85 | 14.21 |
Magnesia | 3.05 | 4.86 | .90 | 2.94 |
---------------+--------+------------+-------+--------------+
----------------------------+--------+--------+-----------+----------
Georgia | Yellow | Black | Chestnut. | Old field
pine. | pine. | pine. |_Castanea_ | pine.
_P._ | _P._ |_Picea_ |_vesca or_ |_P. mitis._
_palustris._|_mitis._|_nigra._|_sativa._ |
---------------+------------+--------+--------+-----------+----------
Potash | 5.01 | 4.54 | 3.02 | 2.90 | .79
Phosphoric acid| 1.24 | .96 | .92 | 1.09 | .73
Lime | 18.04 | 15.16 | 12.46 | 7.93 | 12.12
Magnesia | 2.03 | .74 | .10 | .34 | 1.17
---------------+------------+--------+--------+-----------+----------
THE PURE ASHES OF THE WOODS CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING PER CENTS OF THE
INGREDIENT NAMED.
------------------------+---------------+-------------+------------+
Dogwood.| Sycamore. | Post oak. | Ash. |
_Cornus_ | _Platanus_ | _Q._ | _F._ |
_florida._|_occidentalis._|_obtusiloba._|_Americana._|
------------------------+---------------+-------------+------------+
Potash | 28.04 | 23.17 | 21.92 | 46.04 |
Phosphoric acid| 8.51 | 12.23 | 9.00 | 3.58 |
Lime | 38.93 | 31.62 | 46.39 | 23.57 |
Magnesia | 6.80 | .62 | 6.88 | .60 |
---------------+--------+---------------+-------------+------------+
------------------------+------------+-------+--------------+
Red | Hickory. | White | Magnolia. |
oak. | _Carya_ | oak. | _M._ |
_Q._ |_tomentosa._| _Q._ |_grandiflora._|
_rubra._| |_alba._| |
---------------+--------+------------+-------+--------------+
Potash | 24.66 | 28.60 | 42.16 | 19.54 |
Phosphoric acid| 10.55 | 11.97 | 9.48 | 8.75 |
Lime | 48.26 | 37.94 | 29.85 | 38.94 |
Magnesia | 5.38 | 10.04 | 3.43 | 8.05 |
---------------+--------+------------+-------+--------------+
----------------------------+--------+--------+-----------+----------
Georgia | Yellow | Black | Chestnut. | Old field
pine. | pine. | pine. |_Castanea_ | pine.
_P._ | _P._ |_Picea_ |_vesca or_ |_P. mitis._
_palustris._|_mitis._|_nigra._|_sativa._ |
---------------+------------+--------+--------+-----------+----------
Potash | 15.35 | 19.70 | 14.30 | 18.10 | 3.85
Phosphoric acid| 3.82 | 4.18 | 4.33 | 6.76 | 4.11
Lime | 55.24 | 65.53 | 58.98 | 49.18 | 67.73
Magnesia | 6.25 | 3.20 | .50 | 2.11 | 6.54
---------------+------------+--------+--------+-----------+----------
=229. Fertilizing Value of Ashes.=—Primarily, the fertilizing value
of wood-ashes depends on the quantity of plant food which they
contain. With the exception of potash and phosphoric acid, however,
the constituents of wood-ashes have little, if any, commercial
value. The beneficial effects following the application of ashes,
however, are greater than would be produced by the same quantities of
matter added in a purely manurial state. The organic origin of these
materials in the ash has caused them to be presented to the plant in
a form peculiarly suited for absorption. Land treated generally with
wood-ashes becomes more amenable to culture, is readily kept in good
tilth, and thus retains moisture in dry seasons and permits of easy
drainage in wet. These effects are probably due to the lime content of
the ash, a property moreover favorable to nitrification and adapted to
correcting acidity. Injurious iron salts, which are sometimes found in
wet and sour lands, are precipitated by the ash and rendered innocuous
or even beneficial. A good wood-ash fertilizer therefore is worth more
than would be indicated by its commercial value calculated in the usual
way.
=230. Molasses from Sugar-Beets.=—The residual molasses resulting
after the extraction of all the crystallizable sugar in beet-sugar
manufacture is very rich in potash. The molasses contains from ten to
fifteen per cent of ash.
The composition of the ash varies greatly in the content of potash
as well as of the other constituents.[191] The content of potassium
carbonate varies from twenty-two to fifty-five per cent and, in
addition to this, some potassium sulfate and chlorid are usually
present.
The following figures give the composition of a good quality of
beet-molasses ash:
Potassium carbonate 45.30 per cent
Sodium “ 13.86 “
Potassium chlorid 22.40 “
“ sulfate 8.00 “
Silica, lime, alumina, water,
phosphoric acid, and undetermined 15.82 “
Thus, in 100 parts of such an ash over three-quarters are potash salts.
The molasses may be applied directly to the soil or diluted and sprayed
over the fields.
=231. Residue of Wineries.=—The pomace of grapes after being pressed
or fermented for wine production contains considerable quantities of
potash as crude argol or acid potassium tartrate. This material can be
applied directly to the soil or first burned, when its potash will be
secured in the form of carbonate.
The use of the winery refuse for fertilizing purposes has not assumed
any commercial importance in this country.
=232. Destruction of Organic Matter by Direct Ignition.=—The simplest
and most direct method for destroying organic matter is by direct
ignition. The incineration may be conducted in the open air or in a
muffle and the temperature should be as low as possible. In no case
should a low red heat be exceeded. By reason of the moderate draft
produced in a muffle and the more even heat which can be maintained
this method of burning is to be preferred. With the exercise of due
care, however, excellent results can be obtained in an open dish
or one partly closed with a lid. At first, with many samples, the
organic matter will burn of its own accord after it is once ignited,
and during this combustion the lamp should be withdrawn. The ignition
in most cases should be continued in a platinum dish but should the
sample contain any reducible metal capable of injuring the platinum a
porcelain vessel should be used. The lamp should give a diffused flame
to avoid overheating of any portions of the dish and to secure more
uniform combustion. In using a muffle the heat employed should be only
great enough to secure combustion and the draft should be so regulated
as to avoid loss due to the mechanical deportation of the ash particles.
=233. Ignition with Sulfuric Acid.=—The favorable action of sulfuric
acid in securing a perfect incineration may also be utilized in
the preparation of samples containing organic matter for potash
determinations. In this case the bases which by direct ignition would
be secured as carbonates are obtained as sulfates. In the method
adopted by the official chemists it is directed to saturate the sample
with sulfuric acid and to ignite in a muffle until all organic matter
is destroyed.[192] Afterwards, when cool the ash is moistened with a
little hydrochloric acid and warmed, whereby it is the more easily
detached from the dish. The potash is then determined by any one of the
standard methods. This method has several advantages over the direct
ignition. Where any chlorids of the alkalies are present in the ash
there is danger of loss of potash from volatilization. This is avoided
by the sulfate process. Moreover, there is not so much danger in this
method of occluding particles of carbon in the ash.
=234. The Destruction of Organic Matter by Moist Combustion.=—In the
process of ignition to destroy organic matter or remove ammonium salts
in the determination of potash, there are often sources of error which
may cause considerable loss. This loss, as has already been mentioned,
may arise from the volatilization of the potash salts or mechanically
from spattering. In order to avoid these causes of error de Roode
has used aqua regia both for the destruction of the ammonium salts
and for the oxidation of the organic matter at least sufficiently to
prevent any subsequent reduction of the platinum chlorid.[193] His
method consists in boiling a sample of the fertilizer, or an aliquot
portion of a solution thereof with aqua regia. The proposed method
has not yet had a sufficient experimental demonstration to warrant
its use, but analysts may find it profitable to compare this process
with the standard methods. The organic matter may also be destroyed by
combustion with sulfuric acid, as in the kjeldahl method for nitrogen.
The residue, however, contains ammonium sulfate and a large excess of
sulfuric acid, and for both reasons would not be in a fit condition for
the estimation of potash.
It is suggested that the organic matter might also be destroyed
by boiling with strong hydrochloric acid, to which from time to
time, small quantities of sodium chlorate free of potash is added.
Subsequently the solution could be boiled with addition of a little
nitric acid and the ammonium salts be removed.