In the following tables, the analyses marked by "Wa" are taken from Warington (Chemistry of the Farm); by "Wo" from Wolff (Farm Foods, translated by Cousins); by "H", from Henry (Feeds and Feeding); and by "C", from Church (Food Grains of India).

FOODS.

Water.

Nitrogenous matter.

Soluble carbohydrates.

Crude fat.

Woody fibre.

Ash.

GREEN FOODS.

Pasture grass (Wa) ................

75.3

4.0

11.5

0.9

5.9

2.4

Timothy in different stages(H)

61.6

3.1

20.2

1.2

11.8

2.1

Perennial rye grass (Wo) ......

70.0

3.6

12.8

1.0

10.6

2.0

Italian rye grass (Wo)

73.4

3.6

12.1

1.0

7.1

2.8

Kentucky blue grass (H) ......

65.1

4.1

17.6

1.3

9.1

2.8

Oat fodder (H) ..................

62.2

3.4

19.3

1.4

11.2

2.5

Vetch in bloom (Wo)............

82.0

3.5

6.6

0.6

5.5

1.8

Lucerne quite young (Wo)

81.0

4.5

7.2

0.6

5.0

1.7

Lucerne just in bloom (Wo)...

74.0

4.5

9.2

0.8

9.5

2.0

Sainfoin just in bloom (Wo)...

81.4

4.2

7.3

0.7

5.2

1.2

Red clover before blooming (Wo) ...........................

83.0

3.3

7.0

0.7

4.5

1.5

Red clover in full bloom (Wo)

80.4

3.0

8.9

0.6

5.8

1.3

Alsike just in bloom (Wo) ...

85.0

3.3

5.1

0.6

4.5

1.5

Alsike in full bloom (Wo) ...

82.0

3.3

6.3

0.6

6.0

1.8

HAY.

Meadow hay, medium (Wa)...

13.7

9.2

42.9

2.5

25.2

6.5

Timothy cut when nearly ripe (H) ..............................

14.1

5.0

43.7

2.2

31.1

3.9

Perennial rye grass (Wo) ......

14.3

10.2

36.1

2.7

30.2

6.5

Italian rye grass (Wo) .........

14.3

11.2

40.6

3.2

22.9

7.8

Clover hay, medium (Wa) ...

16.3

13.6

36.2

2.6

25.0

6.3

Lucerne, average (Wo).........

16.0

14.4

27.9

2.5

33.0

6.2

Alsike (Wo) .....................

16.0

15.0

32.7

3.3

27.0

6.0

Oat hay cut in milk (H) ......

15.0

9.3

39.0

2.3

29.2

5.2

Barley hay cut in milk (H) ...

15.0

8.8

44.9

2.4

24.7

4.2

STRAW.

Oat(Wa)...........................

14.5

4.0

37.0

2.0

36.8

5.7

Barley(Wa) .....................

14.2

3.5

39.1

1.5

36.0

5.7

Wheat(Wa) .....................

13.6

3.3

39.4

1.3

37.1

5.3

Rice (Wo) ........................

15.6

5.7

24.0

1.8

37.6

15.3

GRAINS, ETC.

Oats(Wa) ........................

13.0

11.3

57.3

5.4

10.0

3.0

Maize (H) ........................

10.6

10.3

70.4

5.0

2.2

1.5

Maize and cob (II)...............

15.1

8.5

64.8

3.5

6.6

1.5

Barley (Wa) .....................

14.3

10.6

65.5

2.1

5.0

2.5

Wheat (Wa) .....................

13.4

11.7

69.3

2.0

1.8

1.8

Wheat bran (Wa) ...............

13.2

14.1

56.0

3.7

7.2

5.8

Beans (Wa)........................

14.3

25.4

48.5

1.5

7.1

3.2

Peas(Wa) ........................

14.0

22.5

53.7

1.6

5.4

2.8

12.3

20.5

19.6

37.0

7.2

3.4

Linseed cake (Wa)...............

11.7

28.0

33.2

11.4

9.0

6.7

FOODS.

Water.

Nitrogenous matter.

Soluble carbohydrates.

Crude fat.

Woody fibre.

Ash.

Grains- Continued.

Rye(Wa)...........................

13.4

11.5

69.5

1.7

1.9

2.0

Millet, great (C) ...............

12.5

9.3

72.3

2.0

2.2

1.7

Millet, bulrush (C)...............

11.3

10.4

71.5

3.3

1.5

2.0

Gram (c)...............

II.2

19.5

53.8

4.6

7.8

3.1

Kulthee(C)........................

11.0

22.5

56.O

1.9

5.4

3.2

Urud and Moong ....................

10.1

22.7

55.8

2.2

4.8

4.4

Mote(C)...........................

11.2

23.8

56.6

.6

4.2

3.6

Rice, unhusked (Paddy) (C)...

14.0

6.2

68.5

1.5

6.5

3.3

Rice, husked (c)............

12.8

7.3

78.3

.6

•4

.6

Rice mea (Wa)l..............

10.3

12.3

47.8

12.0

8.6

9.0

Brewers' grains, dried (Wa)...

9.5

20.6

42.3

7.0

15.9

4.7

CoCoanut meal (Wo).......................

11.8

20.0

42.0

6.2

13.4

6.6

Soja (or soy) beans (Wo)..................

10.0

33.4

29.2

17.6

4.8

5.0

ROOTS, ETC.

Carrots (Wa) .....................

87.0

1.2

9.3

0.2

1.3

1.0

Swedes (Wa).................

89.3

1.4

7.2

0.2

1.1

0.8

Turnips (Wa)..................

91.5

1.0

5.7

0.2

0.9

0.7

Apples (Wo)...............

84.8

0.4

12.5

0.3

1.5

0.5

Potatoes (Wo).....................

75.0

2.1

20.7

0.2

1.1

0.9

Pumpkins, held (H)..................

90.9

1.3

5.2

0.4

1.7

0.5

ANIMAL FOOD.

Mares' milk (Wa) ...............

90.8

2.0

5.6

1.2

-

0.4

Cow's milk (Wa)...............

87.0

3.7

4.7

3.9

___

0.7

Cows' milk, skimmed (Wo)...

90.0

3.5

5.0

0.7

-

0.8

Cows' colostrum (Wa)..................

74.7

17.6

2.6

3.6

-

1.5

Hens' eggs (Wo) ......................

73.6

12.6

0.6

12.1

-

1.1

The blades of grass (including corn), clover, vetches, lucerne, etc., contain more nitrogenous matter and less woody fibre than the stalks.

The nitrogenous matter of plants, which, in its composition, closely resembles that of the animal body, may be divided into albuminoids (proteids) and amides. The albuminoids are often called "muscle formers," but would be more correctly termed "formers of nitrogenous tissue"; because their presence in the food is necessary for the construction and repair of every tissue which contains nitrogen. Although amides also contain nitrogen, they are not capable of assisting in the formation of nitrogenous tissue; their office being to produce energy and to manufacture fat. As the respective proportions of albuminoids and amides vary a good deal in different species of plants, the expression " nitrogenous matter" has not always the same significance. The following table is taken from Warington's Chemistry of the Farm. We see from it that as a rule the percentage of albuminoids is considerably in excess of that of amides.

Of Total Nitrogen

Oats..........

94

Maize .........

94

Barley .........

95

Wheat.........

88

Beans .........

89

Peas ..........

89

Wheat bran ........

85

Brewers' grains .......

95

Rice meal ........

92

Linseed cake . ......

95

Grass, young ........

75

Clover, young ........

70

Meadow hay .........

87

Clover hay ........

81

Oat straw ........

88

Barley straw ........

90

Carrots .........

58

Turnips .........

49

Carbo-hydrates are a group of bodies which, in addition to at least 6 atoms of carbon, contain oxygen and hydrogen in the same proportion as water (H10). Starch (C6H10O5), grape sugar (C6H1206), and cane sugar (C12H12O11) are the principal soluble carbo-hydrates in plants. The proportion of starch is far higher than that of sugar in all kinds of ordinary fodder. The substances which are classed together as carbo-hydrates, differ a great deal from each other as regards their feeding value.

"Starch occurs mainly in the form of granules, which differ much in different grains both in size and shape, and, it must be added, in their rate of digestion. Uncooked maize-starch and oat-starch are very quickly turned into sugar by the digestive ferment of the saliva or by the diastase of the pancreas; wheat-starch requires a much longer time, and potato-starch is still more obstinate" (Church).

Crude fat is the term applied to all fatty, waxy and resinous substances which exist in plants, and which can be dissolved by ether. Although the fatty and oily compounds in the food are readily absorbed, the waxy and resinous matters appear to be indigestible. As the respective proportions of these constituents vary considerably in different kinds of plants, the feeding value of crude fat is no more fixed than is that of nitrogenous matter or of carbo-hydrates.

The name "fibre" is given to the fibrous and woody material which is contained in plants, and which consists of varying proportions of cellulose (C6H10O5) and lignin C18H10O8). Cellulose forms the cell walls and first skeleton of a plant. Lignin, which is also known as vasculose, "is the chief constituent of the vessels which bind the wood-cells and fibres together" (Bloxam). Lignin is harder, denser and more indigestible than cellulose. The fibre of hay and of the straw of cereals (oats, wheat and barley for instance) has a smaller percentage of lignin than that of the straw (stalks) of clover, peas and vetches, and is consequently of higher feeding value. Pure, or nearly pure, cellulose, as we find it in the membrane which forms the walls of the cells of grain, is soft and tender.

The most important mineral matters in plants, from a feeding point of view, are common salt, the phosphates of lime and magnesia, potassium chloride, and salts of iron. The mineral matter of animals is much richer in salts of soda (chiefly as common salt) than is that of vegetables. The vegetable acids in forage consist chiefly of tartaric acid and citric acid, which, with potash and soda, form soluble carbonates, and thus serve to keep the blood, tissues and certain secretions alkaline. The following tables give the respective percentages of the constituents of the mineral matter (ash) of various foods.

(The percentages of ash are calculated according to those of the "dry substance" and are accordingly higher than those given in the analyses on pp. 62 and 63)

Ash.

Potash.

Soda.

Lime.

Magnesia.

Peroxide of iron.

Phosphoric acid.

Sulphuric acid

Silica.

Chlorine.

GRASSES AND HAY.

Perennial rye grass ...

6.79

34.84

3.47

7.40

2.16

I.25

10.70

4.01

31.76

10.45

Timothy...........

7.24

32.87

2.55

7.19

3.10

O.84

11.63

2.85

35.54

3-43

Hard Fescue............

5.35

37.53

0.33

10.45

2.87

0.79

12.24

3.50

28.93

4.32

Oats coming into ear..

8.12

41.31

3.56

6.55

3.05

0.70

8.49

4.17

27.58

4.23

Red clover in blossom

7.16

16.86

7.52

32.31

9.99

2.41

14.07

8.13

4.18

3.66

White

7.17

18.7

7.4

32.4

9.2

1.4

13.4

8.7

5.7

4.1

Lucerne ,, ,,

7.46

24.58

2.05

42.17

5.24

I.38

8.80

5.93

6.07

3.45

Vetches ,, ,,

10.05

33.76

6.74

27.12

6.39

0.95

12.76

3.39

5.86

3.63

Meadow hay............

6.02

25.54

4.43

16.72

6.31

I.25

8.01

4.56

27.01

7.22

GRAINS.

Oats .....................

3.14

16.38

2.24

3.73

7.06

0.67

23.02

1.36

44.33

0.58

Maize.....................

1.51

27.93

1.83

2.28

14.98

I.26

45.00

1.30

1.88

1.42

Barley.....................

2.60

20.15

2.53

2.60

8.62

0.97

34.68

1.69

27.54

o.93

Winter wheat.............

1.97

31.16

2.25

3.34

11.97

I.31

46.98

0.37

2.11

0.22

Summer..................

2.14

29.99

1.93

2.93

12.09

0.51

48.63

1.52

1.64

0.48

Bran (wheaten).........

6.19

26.62

o.45

3.14

16.38

0.85

51.04

0.13

0.89

-

Peas .....................

2.73

41.79

0.96

4.99

7.96

0.86

36.43

3.49

0.86

1.54

Beans(held)....................

3.57

42.49

1.34

4.73

7.08

0.57

38.74

2.53

o.73

1.57

Rye ......................

2.09

31.47

1.70

2.63

11.54

1.63

46.93

1.10

1.88

0.61

Great millet ............

1.86

20.34

3.25

1.29

14.84

I.87

50.89

----

7.52

----

Rice with husk(Paddy)

9.13

17.66

5.22

1.00

10.34

I.30

41.38

o.37

22.36

o.37

"without" ................

o.39

21.73

5.50

3.24

11.20

I.23

53.68

0.62

2.74

0.10

Ash.

Potash.

Soda.

Lime.

Magnesia.

Peroxide of iron.

Phosphoric acid.

Sulphuric acid.

Silica.

Chlorine.

STRAW.

Winter Wheat ..............

5.37

13.65

1.38

5.76

2.48

0.61

4.81

2.45

67.50

1.68

Summer.................

4.45

28.91

2.69

6.89

2.45

0.72

5.15

3.13

47.60

2.19

Oats .....................

4.70

22.12

2.89

8.86

4.04

1.45

4.69

3.09

48.57

6.31

Barley...............

4.80

22.85

4.13

7.77

2.60

0.69

4.48

3.71

52.02

2.26

husks (chaff).

Winter wheat .........

10.73

9.14

1.79

1.88

I.27

0.37

4.30

.

81.22

___

Summer " ....................

14.03

3.92

0.84

3.28

1.21

0.42

2.67

0.61

86.75

o.34

ROOTS.

Carrots.....................

5.58

35.21

22.07

11.42

4.73

1.03

12.46

6.72

2.47

5.19

Turnips, white.............

8.01

45.40

9.84

10.60

3.69

0.81

12.71

11.19

1.87

5.07

Swedes...............

6.04

62.63

3.94

6.92

2.53

0.25

15.89

4.24

0.09

4.52

Potatoes................

3.77

60.37

2.62

2.57

4.69

1.18

17.33

6.49

2.13

3.11

MISCELLANEOUS.

Cow's milk ..............

4.88

24.67

9.70

22.05

3.05

0.53

28.45

0.30

0.04

14.28

Ox blood ...............

3.55

7.40

45.75

1.10

0.71

9.79

5.27

3.04

1.18

32.91

Flesh .....................

4.06

41.27

3.63

2.82

3.21

0.70

42.54

1.56

1.11

3.85

Hens' eggs without shells ..................

3.48

19.22

17.52

8.44

2.43

1.16

38.05

0.96

o.94

13.94

Oak wood ...............

----

13.05

77.92

0.85

-

1.14

1.56

5.44

0.02

Scotch fir wood.................

--

10.05

10.60

46.14

13.47

4.82

2.83

3.05

8.39

0.71

According to Marchand2 about 48 per cent. of the mineral matter of cows' milk consists of phosphate of lime.

Reliability Of Chemical Analysis As A Guide To The Feeding Value Of Food

We can draw only general conclusions from chemical analyses of foods; because (1) the respective feeding values of the constituents of plants, as we have just seen, have not as yet been accurately determined; (2) the percentages of the constituents vary greatly according to circumstances which will be presently considered; (3) neither the percentage nor the presence of ferments is indicated by the analyses at our disposal.