On this account, the stalks of
succulent plants, as reeds, maize, broom, heath, and furze, are very much
better than the wood of any trees; and twigs are better than timber. Pine
and fir-trees are the worst of woods. The ashes of most kinds of seaweed
yield abundance of alkali. Potash is the alkali that is obtained from the
ashes of land plants, and soda from those of marine plants.
10,000 parts of pine or fur.......contain.... 4 parts of alkali.
" poplar " 7 "
" beech-wood " 14 "
" oak " 15 "
" willow " 28 "
" elm, maple,
and wheat straw. " 39 "
" thistles, flax-stems,
and small rushes " 50 "
" large rushes " 72 "
" stalk of maize " 175 "
" bean-stalks " 200 "
Soap is made by keeping fat constantly simmering in lye of ashes (see
preceding paragraphs) for some days; adding fresh lye as fast as the
water boils away, or is sucked up by the fat. After one or two trials,
the knack of soap-making is easily caught. The presence of salt makes the
soap hard; its absence, soft; now many ashes contain a good deal of salt,
and these may make the soap too hard, and will have to be mixed with
other sorts of ashes before being used: experience must guide the
traveller in this.
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