REPORT ON GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 185 
‘ Ash analyses—Grasseg. 
; Bier | ila +4 shel 
tee, | Pees ta. To ie 
Coca eee - 
= = 2 Slt keto as & | 275 - 
Name. | ay 3 A j g Bw| 39] ES S 
Peek hese Moen inde ek E 
| Hal ee Vial = oa A= a. ls fs = 
a | | aianlo |a |a |& S) 
| | | 
Desmodium, Beggar-lice -..------.---- | 6.33) 27. al DG a=o== 23.42) 7.11; 5.10) 11. 87) 6. 61 
Lespedeza striata, Japanese clover..-.| 4.67) 34.78).----- eee ae 29.60} 4.75) 7.82) 7.54 4,23 
Hierochloa borealis, Vanilla grass...--| 4.54) 31.51) —. 25).--... 3.97) 2.54) 2.55) 7. 42) 4.49 
Hleusine Indica, Wire grass .---.--.-- } 9.52} 10.27) 1.26,---... 10.27; 4.10) 4.24) 2.69) 10.09 
bee Sake ek 7.39) 24. 79)......]...../] 13.65] 7.38) 5.79) 9.68 6.71 
D0) sR Se ee aaa Ba Pics 4.55) 30.98) 3.55)..-... 11.10) 5.57) 8.55) 9.84 9. 61 
Uniola latifolia, Fescue grass..--..--. 5.19] 5.52]-...-.}..-.-.] 7.15) 3.02) 2.62] 4.92) 4.71 
Cynodon dactylon, Bermuda grass..... G66) 22.99|225-o-)- ees 13.44} 5.00) 9.37) 6.20) 6.05 
DO eS on Sees 9. 61} 22. 89) 42) -<----| 7.99] 2.96) 11.31) 5.09) 9. 46 
Sporobolus Indicus, Smut grass ..----- 12. 16} 33. 53). .-- -----| 2.64) 2.66) 4.60] 6.02 11. 03 
Andropogon Virg., Broom grass -.-.-- 7.01) 13.93)....-.|------ 6.76} 1.83} 2.80} 2.97) 6. 57 
Andropogon scoparius? ......--.------ | 15.70).---.. leeceed) se2e< 2.12) .58/Trace} 1.33} 15. 65 
Poa pratensis, Ken. Blue grass ..-..-- + 6. 95] 33. 81)....-- [Ses se 4.81] 3.23) 4.76] 9.88) 6. 30 
Poa serotina, Fow] Meadow grass.-.-.-.| 2.79) 31.71) 3] Sees 6.76] 2.92) 3.35) 10.80 3. 80 
Dactylotenium Agypt., Egptian grass.} 7.50) 21. 20)....-.|.....- 20.67| 6.91) 4.42] 8.37 6.76 
Panicum sanguinale, Crab grass ..----| 6. 67) 33.56)...... [eesce2 4.40| 7.98) 4.02% 6.40 6. 04 
Panicum jumentorum, True Guinea | 
(SDT PsA eee nents ee on eee 8. 57) 35. 93).----.)-----. 10.18) 14.16 2.51; 4.37 7.77 
Panicum obtuswm...--.--------------- 4. 62| 21. 65]-...-- soe 5.91] 3.13) 6.71) 5.18 4.20 
Panicum virgatum, Tall Panic grass..} 3.36) 18.76) 1.22)....-. 7.87| 3.63) 3.56) 5.50 4. 93 
Panicum maximum? _....--.----+---- 1. 54) 22.53) 1. 74)..--.- 7.39) 7.98) 5.29) 4.37 4. 06 
Panicum Texanum, Texas Millet -.--. | 4.54) 27. 95) 1558) -2 25-5 7.39] 4.57) 4.63) 8.48 6. 55 
Panicum crusgalli, Barn-yard grass ---| 12.00) 13.26) .37,.----- | 7:23) 5.52) 3.69) £27 11. 48 
Panicum jiliforme, Slender Crab grass-| 13. 41) 12.98)...... [cae 4.69} 5.18) 4.84) 6. 37) 12.17 
Sorghum halapense, Johnson grass..-.| 3.68) 35.72, . 81 ------ 12.87} 6.73) 2.96) 10. 44 4.58 
Sorghum avenaceum, Indian grass ....| 6.74) 16. 84)......).-.-.. 2.92) 1.36) 2.13] 2.35 6.11 
Muhlenbergia diffusa, Drop-seed ..-...|. 6. 78| 17.32) 1.33|------| 11.95] 4.39) 3.39) 6.65 8. 21 
Bronwus unioloides, Schrader’s grass ..| 16.38) 37. 20) 5 Py] Bee | 4.43) 4.64) 5.61) 8.79) 16. 84 
Bromus carinatus, Brome grass. -.----|------ | 31.61) 2.98] 2.17) 6.19) 2.19) 3.94] 9. 29) 3. 30 
Agrostis exarata, Brown top .-..------ 5207] S841 | oer. ee 5.61] 3.84 1.93] 8.01) 3. 60 
Paspalum leve, Water grass .-....----|------ |} 25.44) 1.12) .60) 9.36) 5 26| 5.64] 6.18) 1.7: 
Setaria setosa, Bristly Fox-tail .--..-..|.----- | 39.33] 2.47) 1.18) 2.31) 1.56) 3.51] 3.24) 3. 81 
Leptochloa mucronata, Feather grass..| 1.81 29. 21] os) eee 5.94] 2.66) 3.31) 6.46) 2.89 
Tripsacum dactyloides, Gama grass.--.| 6.30, 29.06) 4. 77)------ 1.64) 1 oy 3.69) 2. 52) 13. 08 
Tricuspis seslerioides, Tall Red-top ----| 8.13) 38.49).-.... eee oer fe Bede's 53} 4.04) 1.58 7.39 
Average .....- rapt LO tal yea belay (ae [raat 8.42] 4. 3g 4.69] 6.37) 7.15 
Nore.—Traces of iron were present in each of the above, and in some the amount was quite appre- 
ciabie, but not determined. Traces of manganese were presert in Dactylotenium Agyptiacum, Hiero- 
chloa borealis, and Bromus carinatus, and in the first mentioned grass Mu,O, constituted 2 per cent. of 
the crude ash. The above averages are computed independently of the analysis of Uniola latifolia. 
NUTRITION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 
In order that the general reader may be the better able to understand 
the results of the foregoing analyses of the grasses, cereals, and other 
nutritive materials, a few words upon the general subject of vegetable 
aad animal nutrition seem desirable, and will, doubtless, prove accept- 
able. 
Through the action mainly of the sun’s rays the plant is able to take 
up those simple chemical compounds present in the atmosphere and the 
earth, e. g., carbonic acid, water, ammonia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric 
acid, nitric acid, potash, lime, magnesia, and a few others, and from 
these simple compounds elaborate other compounds far more complex 
in their chemical composition, e. g., sugar, oil, starch, cellulose, vegetable 
albumen, and all the countless proximate constituents which chemical 
analysis has shown to exist in the vegetable world, as for example the 
essential oils and the vegetable alkaloids and acids. 
Unlike the vegetable, the animal is quite unable to assimilate and 
elaborate these simple compounds into the complex ones which make up 
the animal organism, but is forced to depend for its supplies of food 
