ON VARIATIONS IN THE COMPOSITION OF OATS, 77 



area of land was known to be great ; but it appeared desirable to 

 determine the composition of the largest and the smallest crops 

 of the season, which came under our notice. The largest crop of 

 oats yielded 80 bushels per imperial acre, weighing 40 pounds 

 per bushel ; and the smallest crop yielded 10 bushels, of 22 

 pounds each, per acre. In the former case there was a produce of 

 3200 pounds from the acre, and in the latter case only 220 

 pounds. 



The chemical analysis of these specimens of oats gave the 

 following results : — 



Composition of 

 Largest crop. Smallest crop 



True albuminoid matters (gluten), 



Starch, gum, &c.. 



Fatty matter, .... 



Cellulose, 



Nitrogenous matter (not true albuminoids), 



containing nitrogen, 

 Alkaline salts in ash, 

 Earthy salts in ash, . 

 Silicious matter in ash. 

 Water, 



100-00 100-00 



These details enable us to show the total quantities of flesh- 

 forming matter, and also of fat and heat-producing matter pro- 

 duced from an imperial acre in each of these crops — 



Acreage yield of Oats. 

 Largest crop. Smallest crop. - 

 lbs, lbs. lbs. lbs. 



Substances useftil as food — 



Flesh-forming matter, . . . 242| 3i 



Fat and heat-producing matter, . 2I70| 145| 



2413J 149 



Substances of little or no use as food — 



Cellulose, &c., 270| 38^ 



Mineral matter, . . . . lOli 6 



Water, 414| 26i 



786 J 71 



3200 220 



We thus see that one acre of land produced nearly fifteen times 

 as much fat and heat-producing matter, and nearly seventy times 

 as much flesh-forming mattey, as another acre of land, indicating 

 a very extensive range in the production of food from a similar 

 extent of land. The variation in the feeding matter contained in 

 one bushel of each crop gives a more definite view of their respec- 

 tive feeding values. 



