CHAPTER IV 

 COMPOSITION AND FEEDING VALUE 



Peas carry a large supply of protein, therefore 

 should be combined carefully with carbohydrates 

 and fats to form balanced rations. The protein in 

 peas is not as completely digestible as the proteins 

 of rice and cereal, although they supply just about 

 the same amount of digestible nutrients as do 

 beans. Moore^ states that the average amount of 

 digestible protein taken from an average crop of 

 one acre peas equals 192 pounds, while corn would 

 supply only 156 pounds protein from the same 

 area, barley 102, and oats 72 pounds. 



Composition. — Legumin forms the chief protein 

 constituent in peas. It is closely associated with 

 vicilin. Some investigators have supposed that 

 legumin carried a little phosphorus, but Osborne 

 and Campbell^ were able to find only slight traces 

 of phosphorus in some samples, while others 

 showed no trace whatever. The same authorities 

 gave a very comprehensive report of the action of 

 legumin, its manner of precipitation, etc. They 

 show that legumin carries 5.17 per cent carbon, 6.9 

 per cent hydrogen, 18 per cent nitrogen, .42 per cent 

 sulphur, 22.9 per cent oxygen. 



Vicilin is a globulin associated with legumin in 

 the pea, the lentil, and the horse bean. The strik- 

 ing characteristic of it is its content of sulphur. 



'Wis. Exper. Sta., Bui. 178, for July, 1909. 

 ' Ct. Exper. Sta. Rpt. for 1897. 



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