table gives the total quantity of ash in the edible portion of the tropical fruits named, together with the composition of the ash in respect of its most important constituents (Bulletin 87, Bureau of Chemistry):
ANALYSES OF THE ASH OF THE EDIBLE PORTION OF THE
SEVERAL FRUITS.
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Description of Sample. | Total | Silica | Potash | Lime | Magnesia | Ferric | Phosphoric | Sulfuric | Chlorin
| Ash. | (SiO_{2}). | (K_{2}O). | (CaO). | (MgO). | Oxid | Acid | Acid | (Cl).
| | | | | |(Fe_{2}O_{3}).|(P_{2}O_{5}).| (SO_{3}). |
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| Percent. | Percent. | Percent. | Percent. |Percent.| Percent. | Percent. | Percent. | Percent.
Orange (china), | 0.52 | 1.01 | 40.66 | 10.26 | 5.27 | 1.09 | 8.56 | 2.84 | 2.44
Orange (rough skin), | .55 | .. | 49.15 | 2.62 | 1.41 | 4.51 | 7.42 | 3.42 | 1.50
Orange (sour), | .57 | .. | 45.09 | 7.95 | 2.17 | 2.40 | 8.70 | 2.72 | .98
Grape fruit, | .39 | .. | 44.19 | 7.34 | 3.92 | 1.28 | 11.09 | 3.39 | 1.38
Lime, | .98 | .. | 43.01 | 7.84 | 2.36 | .. | 8.45 | 2.62 | 4.07
Sweet lemon, | .98 | .. | 54.35 | 4.29 | 1.08 | .. | 9.83 | 4.09 | 1.32
Tamarind, | 1.56 | 15.57[1] | .. | .68 | 2.19 | .. | 4.99 | 1.40 | .48
Guava, | .84 | 1.13 | 55.00 | 2.48 | 1.64 | .. | 8.29 | 3.58 | 5.33
Banana (niño), | .70 | .. | 46.46 | .95 | .42 | .. | 10.36 | 2.36 | 6.59
Banana (oronoco), | 1.08 | .. | 52.41 | 1.02 | 1.90 | .. | 5.16 | 3.32 | 8.48
Banana (colorado), | .83 | .. | 51.47 | .37 | .65 | .. | 3.25 | 2.77 | 7.63
Mango (French), | .53 | .. | 47.37 | 6.38 | 1.62 | .. | 6.49 | 3.67 | 3.88
Mango (Filipino), | .41 | 1.75 | 51.79 | 1.74 | 3.25 | .. | 9.04 | 4.88 | 1.56
Manga, | .78 | 2.14 | 49.37 | 2.38 | .. | .. | 5.57 | 3.84 | 4.20
Guanabana, | .86 | 1.48 | 48.93 | .44 | 2.17 | .. | 9.15 | 4.54 | 3.40
Anona, | .80 | .63 | 47.27 | .81 | 2.07 | .. | 13.63 | 3.19 | 3.51
Chirimoya, | 1.04 | .. | 49.73 | 2.21 | .66 | .. | 6.57 | 4.49 | 7.40
Sapota, | .50 | .. | 43.13 | 7.49 | 2.83 | .. | 2.74 | 4.55 | 17.41
Mamey (Colorado), | .80 | .. | 50.57 | 1.38 | 1.36 | .. | 4.90 | 3.54 | 17.34
Do., | .89 | .. | 48.20 | 1.73 | 3.35 | .. | 9.66 | 3.80 | 16.00
Hicaco, | .91 | .. | 35.15 | 5.84 | 4.51 | .. | 3.09 | 4.77 | 18.62
Caimito, | .35 | .. | 54.75 | 1.31 | .. | .. | 11.00 | 5.50 | 9.46
Pineapple, | .. | .. | 59.18 | 9.44 | 5.52 | .. | 6.51 | 3.04 | 3.22
Do., | .. | .. | 57.13 | 4.80 | 3.44 | .. | 4.29 | 3.65 | 4.08
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The above data show that the percentage of ash in the edible portion of tropical fruits is never very high. In only three instances in the above table does it exceed one percent and in two of those only slightly. The principal mineral constituent is potash, which in round numbers may be said to constitute one-half of the total ash. Of the acid constituents phosphoric acid is the most important. In four cases the amount of phosphoric acid is greater than 10 percent of the total weight of the ash. The proportion of sulfuric acid in the ash is quite constant, while the amount of chlorin varies from less than one-half of one percent to more than 18 percent.
In this case of high ash there is a low content of phosphoric acid, which leads to the supposition that the chlorin is partially or wholly combined with sodium and potassium. In addition to the elements mentioned above the
- ↑ 2.88 percent sand.
