SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



83 



reference to a subsequent page, containing analyses by Prof. 

 Way, that this grass is very far inferior to many other grasses 

 examined by him. The panicles of this grass if allowed to 

 stand after the time of flowering, become filled with ergot, or 

 long, black spurs, issuing from between the glumes, and occu- 



None of tlie above ashes effervesced Avith acid, intlicatin<i; the absence of 

 carbonates. They gave but tlie faintest reaction for lime. Indeed micro- 

 scopic, as well as chemical examhiation, showed the Ash to be composed 

 almost entirely of Silica. 



Nitrogen Determination. 



I. Of the Leaves. 1.4370 grammes, air-dried, gave .2600 grammes of Platina Chloride of Ammo- 

 nium — equal to 1.13 per cent, of Nitrogen, and 7.21 per cent, of Nitrogenous ingredients. 

 II. Of the Stalks, air-dried, 1.6009 grammes gave .0205 grammes Platina Chloride of Ammo- 

 nium — equal to .08 per cent, of Nitrogen, and .51 per cent, of Nitrogenous ingredients. 

 III. Of the Joints, air-dried, 2.4.529 grammes gave .1789 grammes Platina Chloride of Ammo- 

 nium — equal to .45 per cent, of Nitrogen, and 2.87 per cent, of Nitrogenous ingredients. 



The preceding results, In tabular fo'rm, appear as follows : — 

 Relative Weight of different jwrtions. 



For comparison as to the relative nutritive values, there follow some deter- 

 minations made of hay from several localities by Henneberg and Thos. Way. 



It will be seen that some of the samples contain nearly three times as much 

 of Nitrogenous Ingredients as the sample submitted for examination, and it 

 will be Inferred from this consideration that, other things being equal, the hay 

 at the head of the list is decidedly Inferior In nutritive value. 



* Three parts of Nitrogen correspond with 19.16 parts of Nitrogenous Ingredients, as yegetabl* 

 albumen, fibrin and casein, 

 t Estimated according to percentages of different parts. 



