Mean composition of wood ashes. Means. Maxima. Minima. Potash 5.5 10.2 2.5 Phosphoric acid 1.9 4.0 0.3 Lime 34.3 50.9 18.0 Magnesia 3.5 7.5 2.3 Insoluble 12.9 27.9 2.1 Moisture 12.0 28.6 0.7 Carbon dioxid and undetermined 29.9 In sixteen analyses made at the Connecticut station the data obtained are given below:[190] Means. Maxima. Minima. Potash 5.3 7.7 4.0 Phosphoric acid 1.4 1.8 0.9 In fifteen analyses of ashes from domestic wood-fires in New England stoves, the following mean percentages of potash and phosphoric acid were found: Potash 9.63 Phosphoric acid 2.32 In leaching, ashes lose chiefly the potassium carbonate and phosphate which they contain. Leached and unleached Canada ashes have the following composition: Unleached. Leached. Insoluble 13.0 per cent. 13.0 per cent. Moisture 12.0 “ “ 30.0 “ “ Calcium carbonate and hydroxid 61.0 “ “ 51.0 “ “ Potassium carbonate 5.5 “ “ 1.1 “ “ Phosphoric acid 1.9 “ “ 1.4 “ “ Undetermined 6.6 “ “ 3.5 “ “ In the wood ashes of commerce therefore, it is evident that the proportion of the potash to the lime is relatively low. The number of parts by weight of the chief ingredients of the ash in ten thousand pounds of woods of different kinds is given in the table below together with the percentage composition of the pure ash, that is the crude ash deprived of carbon and carbon dioxid. POUNDS OF THE INGREDIENTS NAMED IN TEN THOUSAND POUNDS OF WOOD.