In twenty-two specimens of European peat, examined by Websky, Jæckel, Walz, Wiegmann, Einhof and Berthier, eleven contained from 0.6 to 3.5 _per cent._ of ash. The other eleven yielded from 5.3 to 22 _per cent._ The average of the former was 2.4, that of the latter 12.7 _per cent._ Most of these contained a considerable proportion of sand or soil.
Variation in the composition as well as in the quantity of ash is very great.
Three analyses of peat-ashes have been executed at the author's instance with the subjoined results:
ANALYSES OF PEAT-ASHES. ---------------------------+-----------+-----------+---------- | A. | B. | C. Potash. | 0.69 | 0.80 | 3.46 Soda. | 0.58 | | trace. Lime. | 40.52 | 35.59 | 6.60 Magnesia. | 6.06 | 4.92 | 1.05 Oxide of iron and alumina. | 5.17 | 9.08 | 15.59 Phosphoric acid. | 0.50 | 0.77 | 1.55 Sulphuric acid. | 5.52 | 10.41 | 4.04 Chlorine. | 0.15 | 0.43 | 0.70 Soluble silica. | 8.23 | 1.40 } | Carbonic acid. | 19.60 | 22.28 } | 67.01 Sand. | 12.11 | 15.04 } | +-----------+-----------+---------- | 99.13 | 100.74 | 100.00 ---------------------------+-----------+-----------+----------
A was furnished by Mr. Daniel Buck, Jr., of Poquonock, Conn., and comes from a peat which he uses as fuel.
B was sent by Mr. J. H. Stanwood, of Colebrook, Conn.
C was sent from Guilford, Conn., by Mr. Andrew Foote.[5]
A and B, after excluding sand, are seen to consist chiefly of carbonates and sulphates of lime and magnesia. III. contains a very large proportion of sand and soluble silica, much iron and alumina, less lime and sulphuric acid. Potash and phosphoric acid are three times more abundant in C than in the others.
Instead of citing in full the results of Websky, Jæckel and others, it will serve our object better to present the maximum, minimum and average proportions of the important ingredients in twenty-six recent analyses, (including these three,) that have come under the author's notice.
VARIATIONS AND AVERAGES IN COMPOSITION OF PEAT-ASHES.
_Minimum._ _Maximum._ _Average._ Potash 0.05 to 3.64 0.89 per cent. Soda none " 5.73 0.83 " Lime 4.72 " 58.38 24.00 " Magnesia none " 24.39 3.20 " Alumina 0.90 " 20.50 5.78 " Oxide of iron none " 73.33 18.70 " Sulphuric acid none " 37.40 7.50 " Chlorine " " 6.50 0.60 " Phosphoric acid " " 6.29 2.56 " Sand 0.99 " 56.97 25.50 "