148 



KEPOKT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



The large size and low percentage of albuminoids of the California 

 barleys o.nght to make them valuable for malting purposes, color and 

 gertiii native properties being good. 



Aniuug the samples are barleys with the following extremes : 



Extremes in composition in American iarleys. 



Dakota sustains its reputation for a high iiercentage of nitrogen^ind 

 Oregon for a low one, but the variations in tliis constituent as a whole 

 are not extreme. Barley, in fact, has a wide range of climate in which 

 it flourishes, and with rj^e shows a smaller variation in its composition 

 as influenced by climate than the other cereals. 



The analyses which have been hitherto published do not differ mate- 

 rially from ours. Brewer gives nine in the last census and several have 

 appeared in one of the recent numbers of Biedermann's Gentralhlatt 

 fur AgrilculturcJiemie, 1884, p. 49. Koenig gives in his collection of 

 food analyses the following average of one hundred and twenty-seven 

 specimens : 



This makes the continental more fibrous than onra, and, as is gener- 

 ally the case with all their agricultural products, moi^ter. The differ- 

 ences are in favor of the American grain. 



A few of the samples which were hulled or were naturally hulless 

 were analyzed, and their average composition was as follows: 



Water 



Ash 



Oil 



Carbohydrates 

 Grade nbor.... 

 Albmninolds.. 



Per cent. 



6.26 

 2.18 

 2. CO 



75.53 

 1.60 



11.77 



The dilference between these samples and the unhuUed lies in the loss 

 of fiber and ash and the relative increase of the other constituents, as 

 would be expected. 



From a physical point of view there must be taken into consideration 

 tSie color and brightness of the grain, its perfection (that is, ability to 

 sprout), its homogeneity, and its size and weight per bushel. We have 

 considered only the weight and size, as the other qualities are readily 



