COMPAEISON OF FOODS. 91 



value. At the head of all foods in this inspect stand tho 

 various descriptions of oilcake ; they are, without doubt, 

 among the most concentrated foods at the farmer's dis- 

 posal. The leguminous seeds, as beans, peas, and lentils, 

 are rich in albuminoids, but not in fat. The cereal grains 

 are much poorer in albuminoids, containing only about 

 one half the proportion found in leguminous seeds. Of 

 the common cereals, oats are generally the most nitro- 

 genous, and maize the least. Oats and rnaiza are char- 

 acterised by containing more fat than the other cereal 

 grains. The special characteristic of all the cereal grains 

 is their richness in an easily-digested carbo-hydrate, 

 starch. 



Of the cereal products mentioned in the table, 

 the bran, brewers' grains, and rice meal, represent 

 respectively the external covering of wheat, barley, 

 and rice. These foods are richer both in nitro- 

 genous matter and fat, but contain a much moro 

 considerable proportion of fibre than the whole grain. 

 Malt-dust (known also as malt combs) consists of the 

 radicles of the germinated barley, which are removed 

 after the malt has been dried. This material is very rich 

 in nitrogenous matter, a considerable proportion of which, 

 however, is in the form of amides. 



In the case of hay, straw, green fodder, silage, and 

 roots, the general composition is a less safe guide to the 

 nourishing value. The nitrogen is here no certain measure 

 of the proportion of albuminoids present. The fat credited 

 to these foods includes indigestible waxy matter ; in the 

 case of green fodders, chlorophyll ; and in the case of 

 silage, lactic acid; these substances being all equally- 

 dissolved by the ether used to separate the fat. The 



