- AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



The peculiar form of the casein or avenin appears to gire 

 oats a nourishing power little inferior to that of animal food. 



In Ireland, Scotland, and other countries, oat meal constitutes almost 

 the entire food of the majority of the people ; and those who live on it 

 are not only phjbically perfect, but are able to undergo great exertion, 

 and bear up against severe exposure and hardship. Owing to the small 

 proportion of gluten, yeast-bread cannot be made with oat meal as with 

 wheat flour, and it is usually eaten boiled, or made into thin cakes, dried 

 in the air. Before grinding, it is necessary to kiln-dry oats ; and they 

 are ground in a mill constructed for the purpose, the mill-stones being 

 different from those used in flouring mills. 



264. Oats will grow upon almost any kind of soil, but the 

 clays, and loams that are sufficiently retentive of moisture are 

 the most favorable. 



Owing to this facility of cultivation less pains are frequently 

 bestowed upon this crop than upon others ; though it will well 

 repay proper culture. 



There is a prevalent notion that oats particularly exhaust the 

 soil on which they are grown, but we believe it to be a mistake. 

 The form of the roots, however, predisposes the soil to collect 

 in clods, and hard lumps, which are afterwards broken with dif 

 ficulty, and unless these are carefully disintegrated, they may 

 probably affect the succeeding crop injuriously. Barley, on the 

 contrary, seperates the soil, rendering it mellow with its roots. 

 As a mechanical agent, therefore, the roots of the oat plant may 

 act unfavorably. The different varieties, containing such dif 

 ferent proportions of organic constituents, are adapted to dif 

 ferent soils and circumstances. 



2G5. A crop of 50 bushels of oats, and 3800 Ibs. of straw 

 takes from the acre of soil the following quantities : 



By the prain. By the stravr. Tofnl. 



Potash and soda, - - 10.88 Ibs. 64 78 Ibs. 75 66 Ibs 



Magnesia, - 3.52 &quot; 8.95 &quot; 1247 &quot; 



Phosphoric acid, 14.48 &quot; 5.38 &quot; 19.86 &quot; 



Sulphuric acid, - . 528&quot; 9.95&quot; 1523&quot; 



Chlorine, - - 0.35 &quot; 8.51 &quot; 886 &quot; 



34.51 Ibs. 97.57 Ibs. 132~081bs. 



(Stephens.) 



