412 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



The name grass refers to its being eaten by cattle, and hog- 

 weed comes from its being sought after with great avidity by 

 swine. It is said that all domestic quadrupeds eat the knot- 

 grass. In short, the seeds, though very small comparatively, 

 are said to possess all the valuable properties of buckwheat. 



Polygonum fagopyrum, or Fagopyrum esculentum, yields 

 buckwheat. The name is thought to be properly beechwheat, 

 as the old specific name indicates, its grain being like the 

 mast of beech. Buckwheat is supposed to be a native of 

 Asia ; and in China and other countries of the East it is culti- 

 vated as a bread-corn. It does not suit well with the severity 

 of our winter or the frosts of spring. It was at one time largely 

 imported into this country. The plant is an annual, and 

 flowers very soon after it is out of the ground. The flowers 

 continue to blow and bear seed in succession till the frost de- 

 stroys the plant. The flour is used in cookery and bread- 

 making in various parts of Europe, and to make cakes and 

 crumpets in England, and as rice or groats in Germany and 

 Poland. The seed is considered to be excellent for horses and 

 poultry and pheasants, the flowers for bees, and the green 

 plant for soiling cattle, sheep, or swine. As an agricultural 

 plant it is valuable, as standing only a short time on the 

 ground ; but it produces little straw for manure.* 



The composition of the green stems is given as follows : 



Water, . . . . .82.5 



Starch, . . . . .4.7 



Woody fibre, -. . . . 10.0 



Sugar, ..... 0.0 



Albumen, . . . .0.2 



Extractive matter and gum, . . 2.6 



Fatty matters, . . . .0.0 



Phosphate of lime, . . . 0.0 



100.0 



* Loudon, ibid., p. 327. 



