Percentages of Ash and Phosphorus in Wood and Charcoal. [Volume: 8, Issue: 2, 1888, pp. 81-97]

CHARCOAL IRON WORKERS.

85

difference is not very great, but in the birch we find that the center
wood is somewhat richer in phosphorus than the surface wood.
Table A finally shows us that laths cut from timber that has
been floated down the rivers, contain considerably less phosphorus
than the same kind of wood before being transported. This would
indicate that some of the phosphorus can be eliminated by soaking
the wood in water. Several experiments made in this direction
prove this to be a fact.
Resume.-Though it would have been desirable if the investigations just concluded could have been made on a larger number
of different samples from different places, in order to prove beyond
a doubt the accuracy of the figures presented, we may at least consider the following as the results of our investigations:
1. That birch, alder and ash contain four to five times as nuch
phosphorus as fir and pine, and that of the latter species, the fir
has more ash than the pine, but scarcely as much phosphorus.
2. That of two samples of the same species of wood, taken from
different places, one may contain twice as much phosphorus as
the other.
3. That the wood of the fir when cut in the winter contains
more phosphorus than when cut in the spring or summer.
4. That bark from the fir and pine contains from twelve to fifteen
times more phosphorus than the wood.
5. That branches from all the trees examined contain considerably more phosphorus than wood from the tree proper.
6. That the surface wood of the fir and pine contain many times
more phosphorus than the center wood, while the amounts of ash
in both are the same.
7. That by soaking the surface wood the amount of phosphorus
is materially reduced.
[NXte.-The tables herewith presented have been selected from
a number connected with the paper to givp-our readers the benefit
of the analyses made and the varied methods of comparison believed to be most useful. The local names have been. omitted as
of minor importance to American readers, but in the monograph
the locality from which each sample was taken is given. To condense the tables we have also used abbreviations to represent the
season of felling, character of ground upon' which th tterees'grew,
etc.-THE EDITOR.]