ON VAEIATIONS IN THE COMPOSITION OF OATS. 81 



Composition of Oats grown upon 

 Drained land. Undrained land. 

 True all)Uininoid matters (gluten), . 779 7'03 



Starch, gum, &c., 

 Fatty matter, .... 

 Cellulose, 



54-58 55-G7 



4-23 3-56 



. . 14-86 14-90 



Nitrogenous matter (not true albuminoids), 2-50 1-79 



containing nitrogen, 

 Alkaline salts in ash. 

 Earthy salts in ash, 

 Silicious matters in ash, . 

 Water, 



(•395) (-282) 



•42 -86 



1-14 -72 



•93 -78 



13-55 14-69 



100-00 100-00 



From these data we are able to show the acreage production of 

 food in these two instances, and thereby indicate the difference 

 which may be fairly traceable to the influence of drainage : — 



Substances useful as food — 

 Flesh-forming matter, . 

 Fat and heat-producing matter, . 



Substances of little or no use as food — 

 Cellulose, &c., .... 

 Mineral matter, . . . . 

 Water 



1615 962 



The variations in the quality of the oats will be seen from the 

 composition of one bushel of each of these crops : — 



Composition of one bushel of Oats 



grown upon 



Drained land. Undi-ained land. 



Weight per bushel, . 42^ 37 



One of the most interesting, and probably one of the most im- 

 portant influences affecting the production and the quality of 

 oats, is that exerted by the seed. We found land of similar 

 character and under similar conditions of climate, producing 

 crops differing from each other in a very marked degree, and in 

 the case examined, that variation was fairly traceable to the in- 



p 



