•()U.£6E OF AQXiCi 
 
 COPY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 BERKELEY, CAL. 
 
 E. IV. HILGARD, Director. BULLETIN NO. 94. 
 
 -4-COMPOSITION OF THE RAMIE PLANT. 
 ^^-FERTILIZING VALUE OF GREASEWOOD. 
 
 eojviPosiTiojvj Of ■ 
 
 In Bulletin No. 90 (*' Fiber Plants for Cali- 
 fornia," June 23, 1891) special mention is made 
 of the exhaustion of the soil by the production 
 of ramie. The object of the present investiga- 
 tion is to show the actual amounts of mineral 
 ingredients withdrawn from the soil by the 
 different parts of the plant, and to point out 
 the great necessity of returning to the soil the 
 leaves and stalks after decortication. 
 
 Experiments on a small plot upon the Uni- 
 versity grounds, and on a much larger scale by 
 M. Goncet de Mas at Padua, I'aly, have proved 
 that on good soils where from three to four 
 cuts c^n be made annually, the yield will be 
 about ten tons of dried stalks per acre. M. 
 Goncet de Mas, in the third year after planting, 
 obtained from two cuts nearly nine tons of 
 dried stalks. We are told by Mr. McAfee of 
 Bakersfield that the best fiber is produced when 
 three instead of four cuts are made annually. 
 The total yield of the three will not differ 
 materially from that of the four cuts; the 
 weight of each cut in the former case being 
 proportionately hfavier. The tables given be- 
 low, showing the total amounts withdrawn 
 from the soil, are based upon these figures, 
 separate analyses were made of the ashes of 
 
 ■HE RAJVIIE fbANT. 
 
 the leaves, stalks without bark, and bark, i. e,, 
 cuticle and fiber, including gum. The cuticle 
 and fiber were analyzed together because, while 
 the leaves and stalks can be readily returned to 
 the soil, it will hardly be feasible to do so with 
 the cuticle and gum; and, as stated above, our 
 present object is to ascertain what can and 
 what cannot be given back to the soil. 
 
 PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF THE PLANT. 
 
 It is found that five tons of wet or fresh 
 stalks are equivalent to one of dry. 
 
 We find that the leaves constitute about 30 
 per cent of the dried plant; tjie decorticated 
 stalk 51 per cent and the bark 19 per cent. Of 
 the latter nearly 15 is raw fiber, containing 30 
 per cent of gum, thus making the percentage 
 of pure fiber in the plant as grown here, about 
 11. 
 
 Referred to stalk, without leaves as 100, the 
 results are as follows: Decorticated- stalk 73 
 per cent, whole bark 27, of which 6 is cuticle, 
 and 21 decorticated fiber with gum. Thus the 
 proportion of pure fiber referred to stalk alone 
 is about 15 per cent. 
 
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE PLANT AND ITS ASH. 
 
 Table I. shows the proximate composition of 
 
the different parts of the plant, and also the re- 
 sults of the analyses of the ash of the several 
 parts. 
 
 TABLE I. 
 
 Proximate Analysis of the Ramie Plant. 
 
 
 Whole 
 plant. 
 
 Stalk.* 
 
 Bark.f 
 
 Leaves. 
 
 Water 
 
 81 26 
 17.25 
 1.49 
 
 81.75 
 17.68 
 .57 
 
 80.91 
 18.78 
 31 
 
 80.65 
 15.54 
 3.81 
 
 Oruaoic matter 
 
 Total 
 
 100.(0 
 
 100.00 
 
 100.00 
 
 100.00 
 
 
 
 Ash in dry subs ance 
 Mirogeu in fresh 
 
 plant 
 
 Album inoids in Iresh 
 
 7.950 
 .258 
 1612 
 
 3.120 
 .146 
 .912 
 
 1.620 
 .210 
 
 1.312 
 
 19.693 
 3 0C6 
 
 
 
 Analysis of the Ash, 
 
 
 Whole 
 plant. 
 
 Stalk 
 
 Bark. 
 
 32.58 
 8 77 
 22.28 
 11.64 
 
 .84 
 .18 
 
 12.64 
 
 3 68 
 5 24 
 2.75 
 
 Leaves 
 
 4 18 
 .54 
 34 74 
 7.02 
 
 2.% 
 .12 
 
 4.72 
 1.88 
 42.42 
 2 55 
 
 Potash (Ka 0) 
 
 11 82 
 2 35 
 
 30.87 
 7.89 
 
 2 41 
 .17 
 
 7.29 
 2.26 
 33.01 
 2.43 
 
 37 79 
 8 15 
 17.32 
 10.68 
 
 2.95 
 .35 
 
 16.38 
 3.46 
 1 56 
 1.87 
 
 Magnesia 
 
 Ferric oxide and 
 
 Br. oxide mangauesf 
 Phohphoric acid 
 
 Os) 
 
 Sulphuricacid (sUai 
 Silica 
 
 
 Less excess of ox- 
 ygen du3 to chlo- 
 
 Total 
 
 100.50 
 
 .50 
 100.00 
 
 100.41 
 
 .41 
 
 100 OJ 
 
 100 60 
 
 .60 
 100.00 
 
 100.52 
 
 .60 
 
 99.92 
 
 * - talk witbout bark. 
 
 t Including fiber and gum. 
 
 An inspection of the figures represent- 
 ing the percentage in the ash of the whole 
 plant shows that lime is the most abundant in- 
 gredient, being 30.87 per cent; next comes pot- 
 ash wilh 11.82 per cent, while that phos2jhoric 
 acid is only about one fourth that of lime, viz., 
 7.3 per cent. 
 
 In the ash of the leaves, also, by far the most 
 prominent ingredient of plant-food is lime 
 forming a little more than one-third of 
 of the whole ash; potash and phosphoric acid 
 amounting to less than 5 per cent each. The 
 predominating element in the ashes of the 
 stalk And bark on the contrary is potash, being 
 in the former ca«e more than 37 per cent., and 
 in the latter almost one-third of the weight of 
 the ash; thus indicating the heavy draught 
 made on the soil in this respect. The per- 
 centages of phosphoric acid in the stalk and 
 baik are nearly 3.5 and 2.5 times, respectivelj^, 
 that contained in the leaves. Lime, while 
 not present in such large quantities as in the 
 leaves, still occupies a very prominent place 
 among the ash ingredients of all parts, the 
 
 stalk containing 17.32 per cent, and the bark 
 22.38 per cent. 
 
 In considering the relative values of the dif- 
 ferent ashes it must not be forgotten that al- 
 though the figures given represent pounds per 
 hundred of the as7i, it will require a very much 
 smaller quantity of the leaves to make 100 
 pounds of ash than is the case with either stalk 
 or bark. Thus, about 500 pounds of dried 
 leaves will yield 100 pounds of ash; but 3,200 
 pounds of dried stalks and 6.200 pounds bark 
 will be necessary to produce the same amount 
 of ash. 
 
 In table 2 are shown more clearly the fer- 
 tilizing values of the ashes of the different 
 parts of the plant; it presents the amounts 
 of mineral ingredients actually withdrawn 
 from the soil per acre. It is calculated for a 
 crop of ten tons of dried stalks per acre and, of 
 course, where the yield is not so large, the 
 draft upon the soil is proportionately less. 
 
 TABLE 2. * 
 
 Amount in pounds, of soil ingredients withdrawn 
 from one acre annually ^ by fmr cufs of ramie 
 yielding a total often tons of dried stalks, and four 
 and one-quarter tons of leaves. 
 
 Per acre. 
 Ions. 
 
 NV liole 
 plant 
 14>i 
 
 Stalk 
 
 Bark 
 
 2% 
 
 Leaves 
 
 
 lbs. 
 
 lbs: 
 
 lbs. 
 
 IbH. 
 
 Potash (K,0) 
 
 251.98 
 
 155.99 
 
 27.86 
 
 68.13 
 
 Soda(Na20) 
 
 50 14 
 
 33.63 
 
 7.52 
 
 8.99 
 
 
 657.32 
 
 71.77 
 
 19.14 
 
 566.91 
 
 Magnesia 
 
 168.27 
 
 43.68 
 
 10 01 
 
 114.58 
 
 Ferric Oxide and 
 
 
 
 
 
 Alumina 
 
 51.43 
 
 12.16 
 
 0 71 
 
 38 56 
 
 Manganese oxide 
 
 3.57 
 
 1.45 
 
 0.20 
 
 • r.92 
 
 I'hosp'ic Hcid iPjO.-ij 
 
 155.70 
 
 67 71 
 
 10.86 
 
 77.13 
 
 Sulph. acid (SO3) 
 
 48.56 
 
 14.. ^3 
 
 3.17 
 
 30.86 
 
 H (ica 
 
 704.25 
 
 7.06 
 
 4.48 
 
 692 71 
 
 Chloriae 
 
 51.^5 
 
 2.. "SO 
 
 7.':9^ 
 
 41.f.6 
 
 Nitrogen 
 
 369. 7 J 
 
 105.85 
 
 57.75 
 
 206.10 
 
 A consideration of the data given in the 
 table proves to what an alarming extent the 
 soil would be depleted by a continuous culture 
 of ramie when nothing is returned; as no soil, 
 no matter how rich originally, could long with- 
 stand such a great strain upon its resources. 
 
 The total amount of mineral ingredients with- 
 drawn by a single crop (four cuts) is 2143 pounds, 
 which must be considered as permanently 
 removed when neither the leaves nor the stalks 
 are used as fertilizing materials. The draught 
 made on lime is about 658 pounds, on potash 
 252 pounds, phosphoric acid 156, and on nitro- 
 gen to the extent of 370 pounds, per acre. Of 
 the potash about three-fifths, or 156 pounds, is 
 contained in the stalks, more than one quarter, 
 or 68 pounds, in the leaves, while the bark and 
 fiber, the only production aimed at, contains a 
 little above one-tenth, or 28 pounds, of th© total 
 amount. 
 
8 
 
 The leaves contain nearly 87 per cent of the 
 total lime taken from the soil, that found in 
 the stalk being about 10 and that in the bark 3 
 per cent. 
 
 Of the total pho phoric acid withdrawn, the 
 leaves absorb almost 50 per cent or 77 pounds, 
 the stalk 43 per cent or about 68 pounds, while 
 only 7 per cent or 10.8G pounds, is found in the 
 bark. 
 
 The depletion of the soil in nitrogen is great- 
 est throagh the leaves, which have more than 55 
 percent of the total, or 206 pounds; about 29 per 
 cent or 106 pounds is found in the stalks, while 
 in the bark there is only 15 per cent, or about 
 58 pounds. 
 
 It will thus be seen how very small is the 
 proportion of plant faod withdrawn by the 
 bark and fiber, as compared with that by the 
 leaves and stalks; and since the fiber is be- 
 yond conipa'ison the most valuable product 
 sought, it is obvious that its continuous produc- 
 tion should above all be assured. 
 
 The ingredients first to bj exhausted by such 
 a continuous culture would, in all probability 
 be phosphoric acid and nitrogen, owing to the 
 fact that so many of the soils of this State, 
 notably those of the valleys, while rich in potash 
 and lime, are very poor in phosphoric acid and 
 sometimes in nitrogen. In sections where irri- 
 gation can be practiced, potash and lime will 
 frequently be supplied to the soil in con- 
 siderable quantities by the irrigation waters; 
 for analyses of the latter show them to contain 
 appreciable amounts of these elements. Lime 
 occurs in them in the form of gypsum (thus 
 also replacing to some extent the sulphuric 
 acid needed by the plant) and carbonate of 
 lime; the potash is generally found as sul- 
 phate. Notwithstanding this, the soils' supply 
 would soon be diminished and the replenish- 
 ment would have to be made by fertilizers con- 
 rtaining high percentages of all the ingredients 
 which go to makeup plant-food. No *' special " 
 fertilizer would answer the purpose. 
 
 If, on the other hand, the leaves and stalks 
 are returned to the soil, the amount of mineral 
 matter withdrawn is, comparatively speaking, 
 very small, being only about 28 pounds of 
 potash, 19 of lime, 11 of phosphoric acid and 58 
 pounds of nitrogen per acre. A strong soil 
 could withstand such a small demand for a 
 considerable length of time without showing 
 an appreciable diminution of crops; and when- 
 ever fertilizers become necessary, it will proba- 
 bly be found that in California, phosphoric acid 
 and nitrogen are the substances to be supplied. 
 When the decorticated stalks only are returned 
 to the soil, as might be the case if the leaves 
 were sold to paper mills, as has been suggested, 
 
 then about 68 pounds more of potash, 607 of 
 lime, 77 of phosphoric acid, and 206 pounds 
 of nitrogen per acre are taken away from the 
 soil than would be the case were they, with 
 the stalks, given back to the land. 
 
 Whether or not it would pay to sell the 
 leaves is a financial question depending on the 
 prices obtained for them, and upon that 
 which would have to be paid, sooner or later, 
 for fertilizers used instead. 
 
 Should the stalk not be used as a fertilizer, 
 then the amount of potash permanently re- 
 moved from thp soil would be increased by 156 
 pounds, that of lime by 72, phosphoric acid by 
 68, and that of nitrogen by 106 pounds; quanti- 
 ties forming, with exception of lime, a larae 
 percentage of the total mineral matter with- 
 drawn. 
 
 As regards the manner of returning the 
 ^'offal" of the ramie plant to the soil, the 
 following paragraph from Bulletin No. 90 will 
 be of interest : 
 
 *'It is hardly necessary to remind any intelli- 
 gent larmer that on\y strong soils can be ex- 
 pected to produce, in one season, a crop of ten 
 tons of dry stalks of any kind, and that few can 
 continue to produce such crops for many years 
 without substantial returns to the land, no 
 matter how fertile originally; but there is no 
 reason why the oiTal of the ramie crop — the 
 leaves and stalk-trash — should not be regularly 
 returned to the soil. The leaves can be, and 
 are usually dealt with by stripping the stalk on 
 the ground, leaving them where they grew. 
 As to the stalks, it is true that with three or 
 four cuts per season it will be difficult to deal 
 with the large mass of refuse by spreading it 
 on the stubble, although in the more northerly 
 portions of the area of cultivation it may be 
 desirable to use this material for protection 
 against frost. But as the return must either be 
 made, or fertilizers purchased, the proper mode 
 of procedure will be to make compost-heaps of 
 the trash and thus render it less bulky, and 
 convenient for spreading on the stubble after 
 the last cut. This, in the case of strong soils, 
 is all that will be required to keep up produc- 
 tion for a long time, although the raw fiber 
 sold represents a larger proportion of the soil's 
 plant-food than in the case of cotton, in which 
 the return of seed and stalk will maintain pro- 
 duction indefinitely on any soil capable of 
 yielding a profitable crop. When no returns 
 are made, ramie will prove even a more ex- 
 haustive crop than is cotton when the seed is 
 not returned, and those engaging in its culture 
 had better understand from the outset that 
 they can *'rob the soil" with ramie even more 
 eflfectually than with wheat." 
 
4 
 
 OOMPARISON WITH OTHER CROPS. 
 
 A comparirson of the amounts of mineral in- 
 gredients withdrawn by the ramie with those 
 removed by other crops will more forcibly show 
 how a soil can be robbed by its continuous 
 culture without returns being made. This is 
 shown in table 3. 
 
 as phosphoric acid and potash are concerned, 
 than with either of the other fiber plants; and 
 that the total amount removed by a good crop 
 of ramie is more than the combine J weight 
 withdrawn by flax, hemp and cotton ; illustra- 
 ting again the impoverishing effect;,of this plant 
 on the soil. 
 
 TABLE 3. 
 
 Amount^ inpoundSf of soil ingredients toiihdrawn from one acre by various crops. 
 
 Ramie— 
 
 Lea es, 4.25 tons 
 
 Sf4ilk (without bark), 7.26 tons 
 
 Bark (cuticle and fiber), 2.7o tons 
 
 Wh le plant, l4.2o cons zitL 
 
 Leaves, 1975 lbs I 56 
 
 Stems, 3. UO lbs ' 44 
 
 01 an fiber, 10 0 lbs ' i 
 
 Whole plant, 5975 lbs 1101 
 
 Flax— 
 
 Straw. 1803 lbs i 93 
 
 Seed, 1724 lbs i 2u 
 
 Fiber, 600 Ibi ' ,, I 
 
 Whole plant, 4121 lbs " 43 
 
 Cotton— ; 
 
 Leaves, 400 lbs I 7 
 
 Strmp, 12 01bs I 9 
 
 Seed, 8 u lbs 8 
 
 Burrs, 430 lbs 7 
 
 Lint, 4u0 lbs 1 
 
 _ Whole plant, 32G0 lbs 35 
 
 Wheat— 
 
 Giain. 20 bu 
 
 Straw, 3 00 lbs 
 
 Whole plan*-, 4800 lbs 
 
 Sugar Beets (fresh)— 
 
 Koots, 4i',i 00 lbs 
 
 Tops, 32,000 lbs ' "* 
 
 Whole plant, 72,000 lbs 
 
 13 8.9:^ 56H.91|IU.58 
 99 33.^3' 71.77 43.68 
 86 7.5ii 14 lu 01 
 5J. 14 657.81 i 168. 27 
 
 46| .47 98.62 11.55 
 
 44| 1.40,24.86 5.5> 
 
 40| .(8: 7.22 .65 
 
 30 1.95 130.71; 17.71 
 
 1.95' 38.56! 77.13 Sf'.Se 632.71i 41. 5P 
 
 1.4E 12.le 67.71S 14.53' 7.IK 2.50 
 
 2f .71 10. EC 3 17 4.48 7 79 
 
 3 17 51.4c 155. 7L 48 56 704.25 51.85 
 
 18.7f I 
 12 91. 
 
 4.46' 11.36! .31 
 1.63; .761 .5 
 
 2.43' 13.631 3.60 
 
 1 19 5.801 9.75 
 
 .3i| 3.27' .3( 
 
 3.92| i2.7i\ 13.65 
 
 4.401 l->.r3: 
 3.65 f8i 
 9:-' 1 U 3X7 
 42| 4 59: It.lGi 
 69 .42 1.20' 
 261 14.21i 44. U4! 
 
 ,8.' 114! .72 
 (.7 1.641 10.35 
 2i 1.68' 11.C4 
 
 2.5( 
 3.56 
 4.00 
 3.19 
 .46 
 13.71 
 
 2.57 
 3.95 
 6.5V 
 
 .05; .49 
 I 33.21 6.14! 12.6 
 
 '8i, 76; 7.87 
 5' 1.4f 3>.00 
 . .24. .7'. 
 3I 2 4i! 40.59 
 
 4.22! 
 4.49| 
 9 74 
 3.671 
 .f2l 
 
 4.02: 1 
 
 .071 .29 .04 
 
 .18' .3»l .05 
 
 4.271 2.23 2 35 
 
 .7f 
 .52 
 2.66 
 .12 
 
 5.84 
 
 a.i^9 
 1.11 
 
 6.88 
 .24 
 16.0 
 
 3.F8 
 1.71 
 
 .311 
 7.40i 
 
 .08 
 13.18 
 
 .2^1 11.90 ' .34! .24 
 1J4 7.9i 6.591148.26 
 1.7b 19 8 I 6.93 146 tO 
 
 0' 24 OOi 16 00 24. ff 
 44 198.48|203.(8 17l.60i 
 44l222.482224.C8;i95.601 
 
 2 7? 
 2.54 
 
 .48 
 2.14 
 
 .3ti 
 8.27 
 
 .02 
 7.87 
 7.89 
 
 36.fO| 12.00 8.00 12. 0<" 
 13.68' 8I.I61 68. C4: 3<i.96! 49.68 
 I 16.68;il6 161 8U 64i 44.961 61.68 
 
 o s 
 
 1641 35 206.10 
 410.4<J 105 85 
 91.74 57.75 
 21 3.57 3t9.7U 
 
 j 62.74 
 
 59 391 18.fn 
 71.541 56.54 
 
 5 f3! 
 
 136.4t 
 
 48.49! 
 
 38 44 
 
 29.37 1 29.20 
 
 52.(1 
 
 .^i9 
 
 173.4t 
 
 24 Of' 24.00 
 222.041 18. CO 
 246 04 42.00 
 
 287.no' 60.40 
 10n2. 72 113.00 
 1349.72il73.40 
 
 Note —The data for the above table have, vith the exception of that for xamie, been taken from the various station 
 reports and bulletins. 
 
 Fiber Plants Compared with Ramie. 
 
 Of all the fiber plants ramie stands first as 
 regards depletion of the soil of plant-food; a 
 result which was to be expected from the 
 greater mass of the plant harvested, since from 
 three to four cuts can be made of the ramie, 
 while only one each of hemp and flax is made. 
 Taking average crops, hemp is second in total 
 amount of ingredients removed, cotton third 
 and flax fourth. Thus the total quantity of 
 potash that is withdrawn by ramie is about 252 
 pounds, that by hemp 101 pounds, by flax 44, 
 and 35 pounds by cotton. The corresponding 
 figures for lime are : Ramie 658 pounds, hemp 
 131, flax 23, and cotton 44 pounds. 
 
 As regards the total amounts of phosphoric 
 acid withdrawn, the ratio is somewhat altered 
 in that flax with seed causes a severer drain in 
 this respect than hemp, the figures in pounds 
 being : ramie 156, flax 41, hemp 33, and cotton 
 23. It will be seen from a comparison of the 
 above figures that when nothing is returned to 
 the soil the depletion is less with cotton, so far 
 
 The total amount of nitrogen withdrawn by 
 ramie is 370 pounds, which is about six times 
 that removed by hemp and five times that by 
 flax. The data at hand for cotton are insutficien t 
 for comparison of the total quantity carried off, 
 but the seed takes away from the soil by far the 
 greater part of the wnole amount of nitrogen 
 required by the cotton plant; hence it will be 
 readily seen that ramie has a much more ex- 
 haustive efl'ect on the soil than has cotton, with 
 reference to this costly ingredient. 
 
 When the refuse materials for the different 
 plants are returned to the soil, even then the 
 ramie still stands first in depleting the soil of 
 nitrogen ; in fact, it removes 58 pounds against 
 an insignificant amount by the fibers of the 
 other plants. 
 
 If the seed, in the cases of cotton and flax, is 
 sold in place of returning it to the soil, then 
 flax and ramie bark carry away about the 
 same amount of nitrogen, while cotton takes 
 only one half that quantity. 
 
 If the soil is replenished by the offal" or 
 
5 
 
 refuse products of the several plants, viz.: re- 
 turning all but the fibers, then, as regards pot- 
 ash, tlie quantity removed by ramie is 28 
 pounds, bv cotton less than 2 pounds, .42 by 
 hemp, and J 3 pounds by flax. Were the seed 
 in the case of cotton used otherwise than as a 
 fertilizer, even then the amount would be only 
 about 11 pounds, which is considerably less 
 than one half of the figures for ramie. In other 
 words, for the withdrawal of the same number 
 of pounds of potash carried off by a single crop 
 of ramie yielding 10 tons of dried stalks per 
 acre, there would be required 16 crops of cotton, 
 66 of hemp and 214 of flax. The number of 
 pounds of lime necessary for the ramie is 19, 
 for hemp a little more than 7, for flax about 
 3.25, and 1.2 for cotton ; or, making as before a 
 comparison by crop?, ve have the result that 
 one crop of ramie is equal in exhaustive power 
 to 16 of cotton, about 2.5 of hemp, or to 6 of 
 flax. 
 
 The pJiosjihoric arid of the soil is drawn upon 
 to the extent of 11 pounds for ramie, 1.6 for 
 hemp, .72 for flax and .52 pounds for cotton ; 
 showing in regard to this as other ingredients 
 that ramie causes the greatest strain on the soil. 
 
 When flax is grown for fiber and seed, then 
 the relation between it and ramie, so far as soil 
 exhaustion is concerned, is materially changed, 
 inasmuch as that when the seed is sold, the pot- 
 ash permanently removed is 21 pounds (in 
 plflce of .13 pounds when the seed is used in 
 fertilization) or more than two thirds of the 
 quantity required by the ramie. The phos- 
 phoric acid is also very much increased, and, 
 instead of being less than one tenth, is then 
 three times the amount withdrawn by ramie. 
 In this case flax has a much more injurious 
 effect on th§ soil than has ramie, because, al- 
 though it uses up less lime and potash and 
 about the same quantity of nitrogen, it draws 
 much more heavily on phosphoric acid, which, 
 as has been previously slated, is found in the 
 soils of this State only in small proportions, 
 there being on the contrary very generally an 
 abundance of lime and potash. 
 
 Wheat vs. Ramie, 
 
 Comparing ramie to wheat, we find from the 
 table that, when the leaves and stalks of the for- 
 mer are returned to the soil, the potash with- 
 drawn by the bark is not nearly so much in 
 amount as in the case of wheat, being abc ut 28 
 pounds for ramie as against 44 for wheat. The 
 phosphoric acid is not much more than one half 
 that of wheat crop, the figures being 11 against 
 20. Hence, as regards thes« two elements of 
 plant-food, whfal impoverishes the soil to a 
 greater extent than does ramie. 
 
 Just the opposite conclusion is to be drawn 
 
 when we compare the lime and nitrogen con- 
 tents, particularly so in reference to the latter, 
 which is taken from the soil to the extent of 
 106 pounds in the case of ramie, as against 42 
 for wheat; the proportion for lime is as 19 is to 
 11 pounds. 
 
 If nothing of the ramie '* offal" is used as 
 fertilizing material, th'n the soil is robbed 
 much more effectually than is done by wheat, 
 and in the ratios indicated by the following 
 figures: Potash, 252 to 44; phosphoric acid, 
 156 to 20; lime, 058 to 11 ; nitrogen, 370 to 42. 
 Sugar Beet vs. Ramie. 
 
 The data given in the table for the sugar beet 
 will be of special interest to the farmers who 
 are now raising them or who contemplate so 
 doing. 
 
 The amount of potash removed by a 20 ton 
 crop of roots is 152 pounds, and by the tops 235. 
 Of phosphoric acid, 36 by the roots and 80 pounds 
 by the tops. A still greater diflference is shown 
 in the case of lime, the roots drawing on the 
 soil to the extent of 24 pounds as against 195 
 for the tops, or more than eight times as much. 
 The nitrogen in the tops is nearly double that 
 found in the root, as indicated by the figures 
 113 and 60. 
 
 A careful consideration of the above will at 
 once show the great benefit to be derived from, 
 and the absolute necessity of returning to the 
 soil the sugar beet tops; which, fortunately, is 
 almost always done in practice. 
 
 It is readily seen from the table that the cul- 
 tivation of the sugar beet, when the tops are 
 not returned to the land, will impoverish the 
 soil in potash, in a much shorter time than is 
 the case with ramie, even when the entire plant 
 is removed. 
 
 As regards the other costly ingredients, 
 phosphoric acid and nitrogen, it will be seen 
 that the ramie plant as a whole draws much 
 more heavily on both than does the beet, and 
 in the case of lime the difference reaches the 
 proportion of nearly 3 to 1. When, however, 
 all but the bark is returned in the case of ramie, 
 and in that of the beets all but the root, the 
 amount of potash taken away from the soil by 
 beets is 152 pounds, or equal to about five- 
 times that by the ramie. The diffierence is 
 not very marked in the case of lime, ramie re- 
 quiring 19 pounds and the beets 16. The same 
 can be said concerning the nitrogen, for which 
 ingredient the figures are 106 and 113 ; whereas 
 the phosphoric acid in the beets, 36 pounds, is 
 nearly 3.5 times that of the ramie. It thus ap- 
 pears that when in beet culture the tops are re- 
 turned the draft upon the soil is on the whole 
 much heavier than in the case of ramie, as it 
 requires so much more potash and phosphoric 
 
6 
 
 acid, while the amount of nitrogen is about the 
 same in each. 
 
 Fruits vs. Ramie. 
 Owing to the insufficiency of the data 
 at hand a comparison of ramie with the 
 fruits, as regards the total amount of min- 
 eral matter withdrawn by the different crops 
 of the latter, cannot be made; but those quanti- 
 ties can be compared which are permanently 
 removed in each case, as shown in table 4. 
 TABLE 4. 
 
 Qunntities of soil ingredients withdrawn by vari- 
 oits fruit crops compared with ramie bark and fiber. 
 
 
 Total 
 
 
 Phos 
 
 Nitro- 
 
 FRKSH FftUIT 
 
 nsti. 
 
 Potash 
 
 aoid, 
 
 gen, 
 lbs. 
 
 
 lbs 
 
 lbs. 
 
 ibi 
 
 Grapes 
 
 Crop of 10.000 ftg per acre 
 
 89.00 
 
 50.00 
 
 15.20 
 
 17.00 
 
 Oranges (California) 
 
 
 
 
 
 Crop (.f 20,000 lbs. per acre 
 
 86.40 
 
 40.14 
 
 10.60 
 
 36.60 
 
 Peart 
 
 
 
 
 
 Crop rf 20,000 ib3. per acre 
 
 66.00 
 
 36. CO 
 
 10.00 
 
 12.00 
 
 Plums 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ciop of 20 000 fta. per acre 
 
 87.00 
 
 51.60 
 
 13.20 
 
 167.70 
 
 Ap( les 
 
 
 
 
 
 Crop of 20,000 lbs peracre 
 
 44.00 
 
 16 00 
 
 6.00 
 
 12.00 
 
 Ramie Baik{(iTy). 
 
 
 
 
 
 Crop of 5,500 ft;, peracre 
 
 91.74 
 
 27.86 
 
 10.86 
 
 57.75 
 
 It will be seen, as regards total mineral mat- 
 ter, that while that of the ramie does not differ 
 materially from thatofgrapes,oranges or plums, 
 it has a trifle more than double that of apples 
 and about 1.4 times of pears. Its content in 
 potash is not much more than one-half that 
 found in grapes and plums, considerably less 
 than in the case of oranges and pears, but is 
 1.75 times that of apples. The phosphoric acid 
 percentages are almost Identical in the ramie 
 bark, orange and pear; grapes and plums, con- 
 taining, respectively 50 aud 30 per cent more 
 than does the ramie ; while apples have only 
 about 60 per cent of that amount. 
 
 In nitrogen contents ramie stands second to 
 plums. Grapes carry off a little less than one- 
 third, oranges about three-fifths, and pears and 
 apples somewhat more than one-fifth of that 
 removed by the ramie. 
 
 On the whole, then, ramie culture when all 
 "offal " is returned, is fairly comparable to the 
 less exhaustive fruit crops; but without su'^h re- 
 turn it mubt be classed among the most exhaus- 
 tive cultures known. 
 
 Berkeley, Sept. 23, 1891. M. E. Jaffa. 
 
r 
 
 THE fERTILIZING VAbUE OF ©f^EyVSEWOOD. 
 
 A quantity of the dry brush of the grease- 
 wood plant (Sarcohntus vermiculatus) was fur- 
 nished by George W, Raymond of Miramonte, 
 Kern county; the object being to determine 
 whether or not it would pay to use the plant, 
 or its ash, as a return to the soil, or in making 
 composts for general purposes of fertilization. 
 
 The table below shows the result as ob- 
 tained by Assistant Jaffa, alongside of the ash 
 analyses of some other well-known plants, for 
 comparison : 
 
 is to be written to the credit of the greasewood 
 ash where it would usually be convenient to 
 apply it; against the disadvantage of a return- 
 ing three-fourths of the whole ash in the useless 
 or detrimental form of " alkali." 
 
 The question still remains, how much of the 
 other important fertilizing element, nitrogen, 
 would be applied by the fresh plant. This has 
 not as yet been determined; when it is, it may 
 turn out that on well drained soils not too rich 
 in alkali, the use of fresh or dried fbut not of 
 
 Table showing ash composition of greasewood^ compared with other plants. 
 
 Silica 
 
 Potash 
 
 Soda 
 
 Lime 
 
 Msgne-ia 
 
 Feri-xiie of iron and alu niu 
 
 Phosphoric acid 
 
 Sulphuric acid 
 
 Chlo. iae 
 
 Less excess of oxygen due to chlorine, . 
 
 Total 
 
 Ash percentage of plant. . 
 
 
 
 Seaweed. 
 
 
 
 Ci 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 a 
 S 
 
 CO 
 Sf> 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 imot 
 
 (6 
 
 •o 
 2! 
 
 
 w 2. 
 
 O* 
 
 f» 
 
 
 § 
 
 
 o c 
 
 
 OK) 
 CD 
 
 cr 
 
 
 9 
 
 w . 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 n.8i 
 
 2.6 
 
 1.7 
 
 1.6 
 
 1.2 
 
 35.6 
 
 18.53 
 
 36.4 
 
 14.5 
 
 22.4 
 
 48.6 
 
 28.8 
 
 39,45 
 
 
 24. n 
 
 24 1 
 
 3.9 
 
 2.7 
 
 • .36 
 
 
 13.9 
 
 11.9 
 
 15.3 
 
 9.3 
 
 1.19 
 
 
 9.5 
 
 7.4 
 
 3.3 
 
 3.6 
 
 7. re 
 
 
 1.1 
 
 .6 
 
 
 
 3.51 
 
 
 3.1 
 
 2.6 
 
 15.8 
 
 10.8 
 
 4.93 
 
 
 24.0 
 
 13.3 
 
 8.5 
 
 3.9 
 
 15,30 
 
 
 10.1 
 
 17 2 
 
 2.5 
 
 5.0 
 
 103. f 4 
 
 
 101 9 
 
 1011 
 
 99.1 
 
 99.7 
 
 3.25 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 99.79 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12.03 
 
 
 14.4 
 
 18.6 
 
 10.8 
 
 7.0 
 
 It will be noted that of all the plants here 
 shown, among which are three (samphire or 
 "salt grass," and the two seaweeds) presumed 
 to contain unusually large percentages of 
 soda, the greasewood shows the largest amount 
 of sodium salts; nearly 40 per cent of the ash 
 being soda, out of which over 25 per cent of 
 common salt, and nearly 8 per cent of Glauber's 
 salt are formed. There remains out of the 
 total amount shown in the analysis, 23 per 
 cent that will go toward forming carbonate of 
 soda, increasing its weight to about 3D if re- 
 turned to the soil. This means that out of 100 
 pounds of greasewood ash, 72 pounds would be 
 "alkali" of the usual composition of "black 
 alkali;" which would at the very least be of no 
 use to any soil, while to those already charged 
 with alkali it would be decidedly detrimental, 
 as adding so much to the evil already existing. 
 
 It is true that there is 18 per cent of potash 
 and 3i of phosphoric acid to be placed to the 
 credit of the ash, as available and valuable plant 
 food. But as potash is usually abundant 
 already in the soils upon which the greasewood 
 grows, this would hardly outweigh the disad- 
 vantage of the alkali in the same soils. Practi- 
 cally the 3i per cent of phosphoric acid alone 
 
 burnt) greasewood brush would be advantage- 
 ous. 
 
 On the other hand, it may asked whether in 
 clearing greasewood land, it would not bean ad- 
 vantage to remove the brush, so as to diminish 
 the alkali; as is done when beets are planted in 
 saline soils. 
 
 The fresh plant, including stems and leaves, 
 may be estimated to contain about 75 per cent 
 of water, A ton of the fresh brush would thus 
 contain 500 pounds of dry matter, of which 60 
 pounds would be ash; and of this ash, about 45 
 pounds would be true, useless "alkali," 
 
 If, then, the ground were so thickly over- 
 grown with the greasewood as to furnish about 
 10 tons of brush per acre, to remove that brush 
 would be equivalent to taking away something 
 like a quarter of a ton of alkali. This is not an 
 insigniticant amount in soils liable to injury 
 from the excess of salts; and if the process 
 were repeated several times, the greasewood 
 would serve, like the beet, to remove a very 
 notable proportion of the total alkali salts pre- 
 sent in the soils ; just as does the removal of 
 samphire in reclaiming salt-marsh lands. On 
 the other hand, were the greasewood growth 
 only scattering, its removal would serve no 
 
8 
 
 practically important object. 
 
 OompariDg greasewood with the other plant 
 ashes in the table, it will be seen that while it 
 does not agree closely with any of these, it ap- 
 proaches the seaweeds more closely than the 
 samphire, in its contents of potash and phos- 
 phoric acid. Seaweed is freely used for prepar- 
 ing fertilizing composts in countries where 
 summer rains prevail ; and usually on the sandy 
 seashore soils, through which t' e excess of 
 saline matters (sodium salts) is readily washed 
 into the sub-drainage, and consequently does 
 
 not stay to increase the salts in the soil, aa 
 would be the case in our arid climates. It will 
 be noted that they, also, supply considerable 
 potash, much needed in rainy countries ; but 
 only asmall proportion of phosphoric acid, up- 
 on which the food and forage plants draw so 
 heavily; as is seen in the annexed analyses of 
 the ashes of cabbage and timothy hay. Phos- 
 phatic ferilizers are, therefore, needful in con- 
 nection with the use of seaweed (and grease- 
 wood) composts, in order to supply the demands 
 of the common culture plants. 
 
 E. W. HiLGABD.