1 96 PLANT AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 



of our country. The United States Agricultural Department 

 furnishes several reports on this subject. 1 The analyses have 

 been conducted to show the effect of environment on the grain. 

 The albuminoids, fat, and ash composition of American 

 grain are given and compared with foreign crops, and the 

 average composition of flour from different sections of the 

 country has been studied. 



The importance of chemical analyses in this connection 

 is evident, for the relative chemical composition of a cereal 

 decides its nutritive value, and this information is essential 

 to the farmer in the selection of the kinds of grain for sowing. 

 The percentage of chemical composition of grains varies in 

 crops grown in different sections of the country, and furnishes 

 a scientific basis for careful selection of climate and soil. 



Agricultural chemical analysis is usually conducted to show 

 the aggregate percentages of groups of substances. All the 

 nitrogenous compounds are determined together and classed 

 as the albuminoids; starch, gum, sugar, and similar sub- 

 stances, as carbohydrates. Oils, waxes, and allied com- 

 pounds are classed as fats. Special compounds existing in 

 minute quantities, but belonging to one of these classes, would 

 fail to be detected in such a general plan of analysis; such 

 compounds might have great economic interest. Careful 

 and detailed plant analysis can be the only means to discover 

 and isolate these principles. 



The sources of sugar supply to the world are from a few 

 plants; the beet, maple, sugar-cane, and sorghum. In our 

 country, during 1883-84, beet- sugar was all made at Alvarado, 2 

 California. Sugar manufactured from the beet on the Pacific 

 Coast is an assured success. The climate and soil of northern 

 California, Oregon, and Washington Territory are especially 

 suitable to this plant. A vast range of territory in our Northern 

 States would be adapted for the cultivation of the sugar beet. 

 The causes of past failures to establish a beet-sugar industry 



1 Buls. No. I, No. 4, No. 9, Chem. Div. Dept. of Agr., by Clifford Richard- 

 son. 



2 "Our Sugar Supply," by H. W. Wiley. From Bui. No. 2, Chem. Soc. 

 of Washington, January, 1887. 



