| Show MINERAL CONTENT OF APPLES department departs L nt of agricultural chemistry of the idaho station gives re kufta of experiments fruit of all kill kinds ds that grow on plants which receive the largest portion of 0 their food supply through tho the soil always contain a rather largo large amount of 0 mineral substances in tho the apple for example it has been found by work carried on in tho the department of at agricultural chemis try of the idaho station that the ash amounts from 2 to 35 per cent of the fresh mature fruit this total ah is obtained by drying a suitable quantity 31 3 pounds of the quartered apples at a degree of about 40 degrees C for several days and then burning bumming it in an electrical furnace at a dull red heat until practically all the carbon is consumed tho the total amount apparently does not vary to any ally great extent with varieties or with irrigation or non irrigation when this ash which aich from the majority of varieties is perfectly white is further subjected to analyses the following are the most important elements found silicon iron aluminum phosphorus manganese calcium magnesium potassium chlorine and sulphur although no one has been able to determine tho the exact e met function of these theao various elements in plants and ana fruits it is generally believed that and phosphorus enter into tho the living substance that potassium magnesium calcium and iron although not entering into the living substance are essential but owing to the fact that they are so widely distributed in the soil are absorbed by the root hairs of the tree and find their way to tho the fruit through tse tree aap ap |
