212 [Senate 



The knowledge of the organic constituents of plants, composed of 

 various combinations of the four elements, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, 

 and nitrogen, may afford some very useful suggestions in practice. 

 By knowing for instance, the proportions of these constituents, we 

 can often arrive at a comparative value of different kinds of grain. 

 Analysis shows that some vegetable products contain more starch than 

 others ; some abound in gluten ; some contain a large portion of 

 oily matter, and others are distinguished for other ingredients. Now, 

 some of these are best adapted to one object, and others to another 

 object. If for instance, in feeding animals, it is intended to fatten 

 them, those grains would be pointed out as best, which most largely 

 contain oil ; if to make them grow in flesh and muscular parts, those 

 which abound in gluten ; if the object is to make a cow yield butter, 

 food containing oily matter should be given ; if to yield cheese, beans, 

 peas, and clover should be given ; and if milk in quantity merely, 

 succulent food should be employed. But although in these instances, 

 analysis may suggest useful practices, yet the amount of the benefit 

 must be determined by practice. Theory may point out one course 

 as better than another, but the difference may be so small, as not 

 to merit attention in practice, which can only be determined by 

 direct experiment.* 



The difficulty of arriving at a correct practical conclusion, in rela- 

 tion to the quantity of nutriment in grain and other food by analysis 

 will be evident from the fact, abundantly proved by some of the best 

 farmers in New-England as well as in western New -York, that corn 

 ground and boiled with water, is more effective in fattening hogs, 

 than twice the amount fed in the dry grain. 



Analysis, in other cases, will show the comparative value of differ- 

 ent varieties of the same grain. A very valuable ingredient in wheat 

 is gluten ; of this, French wheat has been found to contain 12 per 

 cent. ; Bavarian, 24 per cent. H. Davy obtained 19 per cent, from 

 winter, and 24 from summer wheat ; from Sicilian 21, and from Bar- 

 bary wheat 19 per cent. But the uncertainty of permanent depen- 

 dance on such analysis is proved by the fact that the nature of the 

 soil may considerably influence the result. Hermbstsedt found that 



• All results of this kind are greatly influenced by circumstances. For instance^ 

 experiments accurately conducted, have shown that Indian corn, ground and boiled^ 

 will fatten hogs more than twice as fast as the same amount of raw material* 



