84 ON VARIATIONS IN THE COMPOSITION OF OATS. 



For the convenience of examining the feeding value of these 



oats, the composition of one bushel of each growth is added : — 



Composition of one bushel of Oats grown 

 Witli cllange of seed. Witliout change of seed. 

 Substances useful as food — lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. 



Flesh-forming matter, . . . 3j 1^ 



Fat and heat-producing matter, . 27j 20S 



30i 22 



Substances of little or no use as food — 



Cellulose, &c., .... 6 5 



Mineral matter, .... 1 1 



Water, 5j 4 



10 



Weight per bushel, . 43 * 32 



We* now proceed to notice some of the changes effected in 

 oats by unfavourable harvest weather. The crop of oats upon 

 which our examination was based was of tolerably equal character 

 throughout. One portion was secured without rain, whilst the 

 remainder was moderately damaged by exposure to the wet. The 

 chemical analysis of a fair specimen, taken from each portion of this 

 crop, gave the following results : — 



Composition of Oats 

 Harvested without rain. Damaged by rain. 



True albuminoid matters (gluten), . 



Starch, gum, &c., .... 



Fatty matter, ..... 



Cellulose, ...... 



Nitrogenous matter (not true albuminoids) 

 containing nitrogen), . . . (•09( 



Alkaline salts in ash, 



Earthy salts in ash, 



Silicious matter in ash, . 



Water, 



100-00 100-00 



That portion of the crop which was harvested in good condition, 



yielded 33 bushels of oats per imperial acre, weighing 41-|- 



pounds per bushel, and the part injured by rain produced 32 



bushels of oats per acre, weighing 39^ pounds per bushel. The 



actual food contained in these portions was as follows : — 



Acreage composition of Oats 

 Harvested without rain. Damaged by rain 

 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, ...... 



1370 1264 



