150 PROPORTIONS OF NUTRIMENT. 



and gluten. But in bulbous roots, as potatoes and turnips, the sugar 

 and gum are retained, and these constitute their nutritive ingredients. 

 To estimate the relative weight of dry starch, gluten, gum and sugar, 

 in each crop of an acre, this table will be useful ; 



Crop. Bushels. Ibs. Starch. Gluten & Albumen. Gum & Sugar. 



Wheat - 30 - 1,800, 990 - 378 71 



Indian corn 60 - 3,120, 2,JOO - 280 - 90 



Potatoes - 10 tons 22,400, 2,688 - 240 woody fibre. 



Oats - 50 bush. 2,250, 1,215 - 100 250 



Barley - 38 " 2,000, 1,200 - 120 - 160 



Peas - 15 " 1,000, 420 - 260 - 20 



Beans - 25 1,600, 670 - 370 



Turnips - 25 " 5,600, 3,090 - 1,400 - 5,000 



It may be inferred that, if the amount per acre be a fair average, 



wheat land would raise 10 tons of potatoes, or 1,698 Ibs. more of 



starch; with Indian corn it would raise 1,110 Ibs. more starch, and 



with turnips 2,100 Ibs. more. If the acre of wheat then will support 



one more so far as the nutritive properties of the crops depend on 



the starch and sugar the same planted with oats and barley will 



support one and a-half, with Indian corn three, or with turnips five. 



If the relative quantities of the gluten be compared, wheat, Indian 



corn and beans, yield about an equal quantity, and potatoes one-third 



less ; but turnips yield four times as much gluten as any one of the 



three. Hence the turnips having 3,090 Ibs. of starch and 1,400 Ibs. 



of gluten, are the most nutritive crop that can be raised, especially for 



fattening cattle. And were its nutritive qualities more agreeable for 



consumption by man, it would support by far the largest population. 



The pea and bean will be seen also to be much more nourishing, so 



far as the gluten they contain is concerned, and according to their 



relative weight, than wheat or any of the other crops ; 56 Ibs. of beans 



affording as much nutriment as 67 of peas, 100 of wheat flour or 177 



of rice. 



Vegetable food is capable, not only of supporting man and animals, 

 but also of fattening them ; hence living vegetables must be furnished 

 with all the substances necessary to enter into and build up the parts 

 of animal bodies, and to supply the waste of life. It must have car- 

 bon in the first place for respiration. The consumption of this in an 

 adult, with little bodily exercise, it is said, is about 5 or 6 oz. per 24 

 hours : with one taking ordinary exercise, about 8 or 9 oz., and with 

 one having great exercise, from 12 to 15. If the mean quantity be 

 taken, say 8 oz., then a man must consume daily, 18 oz. of sugar or 

 starch. If this be in the form of bread, If Ibs. will be required, if 

 in the form of potatoes, about 7j Ibs., in the raw state. For a seden- 

 tary person 5 Ibs. of potatoes may suffice, but for one with continued 

 or violent exercise, 12 or 15 Ibs. are necessary. This, it will be un- 



