WHEAT. 79 



carefully wiisliing the flour when the wheat has been ground. It is most convenient to tie 

 np the flour in a cloth, wliicli, shaken and beaten in water, will let all the starch pass through, 

 and ret;iia only the gluten. The operation should be continued as long as the water is 

 tinged with the white starch. Any one can readily make the experiment; and as the soft 

 wheats vaiy inuih in the proportion of the gluten lliey contain, the difference will be readily 

 a-scertaiiied. This leiids to a i)i-aftical conclusion : it" we wish to grow any pecidiar sort oV 

 wheat for seed, and if we find thiif, by our preparation of the soil, or its oriiiinal comoosi- 

 tion, we produce a wheat in which the gluten and starch are in a different jHoportion from 

 that of the original seed, we may coiulnde that this is owing to more or less of azotizeil 

 matter in the soil, that is, more animal nmnuro, or more vegetable hunms ; and by in- 

 creasing the one or the other, we may bring our wheat to h.we all the pro])erlies of the ori- 

 g'nal seed. This h a valuable discovery, and deserves to be fully confirmed by experience." 



The attention of the reader would be but ill directed to this subject, without 

 drawing it to some practical truths evolved by chemical investiiraiion — such as 

 bear upon the subject of the constituent elements of this grain, and the inferences 

 to be deduced therefrom, as to the soil and the manures best adapted to its 

 growth. These points are well laid down again by the reverend gentleman who, 

 if his religious be equal to his agricultural dissertations, deserves certainly not to 

 rank among those of his cloth after whom, it is said, the mile-stones in England 

 are called " Parsons," for the reason that they point the way, but never go it ! 



" Improved chemic;d an;dysis has discovered vaiious sulistaiices in minute quantities in 

 the grains and straw of wheat; and this has led to the doctrine that these substances, being 

 essential to its fonnation, must he excellent manures for it, it" they do ntjt already exist in the 

 soil in sufficient qu;mtities. Must of these substiiuces are found in all soils which contain 

 a due proportion cjf clay. Silica in a very minutely divided state, and j>i-obably in combina- 

 tion with ammonia or pt)tass, seems one of the most important to give due strength to the 

 straw ; and hence in some soils potass or wood-ashes which contain it may be advantage- 

 ously used as manures to the young clovers preceding the wheat. The analysis of the ashes 

 of grains of wheat chosen out of the ears, by Theodore de Saussure, who is generally con- 

 sidered an excellent authority, gives the foUowuig results : 



Silica Oo 



Metallic oxides C-25 



Loss 7-59 



Potass 15 



Phosphate of potass 32 



Muriate of potass 0-16 



Sulphate of potass, a trace 



Earthy pliosphates 44-5 



The analysis of the ashes of the straw gave the following result : 



Potass 12-5 



Piiospliato of potass 5 



Muriatt> of potass .3 



Sulphate of potass 2 



Earthy phosphates (i 2 



Total ■ 100- 



The analysis of the ashes of the whole plant, when in blossom, gives of 



Soluble salts 41 I Metallic o.xides O.) 



Earthy ])hosphatcs 10-7.5 j Loss 21-5 



Earthy carbonates 025 



Total 100- 



Earthy carbonates I 



Silica 61-5 



Metallic oxides 1 



Loss 7-8 



Silica 26 I Total 100- 



" By comparhig these results it will appear that from the time of floweiiug to the matu- 

 rity of the seed, a poition of the soluble sidts is converted into earthy phos])hates ; that silica 

 acciunulates in the straw, but not in the grain ; iuid as potass is the principal means of ren- 

 dering the silica sohd)le, it is an im[)ortant ingredient in a wheat soil, as well as the phos- 

 phoiic acid. This hwt is found chiefly in animal manures." 



The plainest and most recent experiment we have met with, on the applica- 

 tion of lime to wheat land, as a manure, is found in a Discourse on the Use of 

 Lime, delivered before the Agricultural Society of Albemarle (honored by its age 

 and yet more by its results), at their fall meeting, 1845, by George BLiETTERMAN, 

 LL. D., which some friend has been good enough to send us. He thus relates 

 a single application : " One experiment more, made by myself, with all the ne- 

 cessary care and accuracy, I shall add here to what I have already said on this 

 subject. One acre of the field I mentioned to have been found, on analysis, to 

 have been quite destitute of lime, was manured with stable manure, and plowed 



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