VEGETABLE FOODS. 



171 



if grown with clover, forms one of the best of the cereal straws, the 

 straw of winter barley being, however, the poorest in nutritive substances 

 of any form of straw.' The following is the composition of barley-straw : 



Solids, .. ; 



Nitrogenous matters 



Fats, 



Non-nitrogenous extractive matter , 



Cellulose, . 



Ash, . 



85.7 per cent. 



3.4 " 



1.4 

 34.7 

 41.8 



4.4 < '- 



The following is the composition of barley-straw when grown with 



clover : 



Solids, ... . 85.7 per cent. 



Nitrogenous bodies, . 6.5 " 



Fats, ..;-... . 2.0 " 



Non -nitrogenous extractive matters, 32 5 " 



Cellulose, ... . 38.0 " 



Ash, .... . 6.7 " 



Barley-straw, therefore, grown with clover, almost approaches an 

 average hay in nutritive value. The ruminants digest the following 

 amounts of the different constituents of barley-straw : 



Proteids, 



Fats, . . . 



Non -nitrogenous extractive matters, 



20 per cent. 

 41.6 " 

 54.1 ". 



Barley-bran agrees in its general properties with the bran of the 

 better cereals. It contains 



Solids, 85. 8 per cent. 



Proteids, 3.1 



Fats, 1.5 



Carbo-hydrates, 38.5 



Cellulose, 30.3 



Ash, 12.4 



Barley-bran frequently contains large quantities of the barlej'-bristles, 

 and should then only be given to animals after being boiled or steamed. 

 Given dry, the bristles stick in the tongue, and produce inflammatory 

 reaction. Steamed barley also is a valuable food. By malting, the barley 

 undergoes mechanical and chemical alterations which lead to the 

 increase in its digestibility, and, although the starch is turned into sugar, 

 there is, nevertheless, in the process of malting a loss in nutritive con- 

 stituents of the total solids, especially of the nitrogenous bodies. In 

 sprouting there is likewise a loss of proteids, carbo-hydrates, and fats. 



Buckwheat is often used as a green fodder, and its grain is fre- 

 quentty administered as dry food. The green buckwheat contains 



Solids, . * . . 



Proteids 



Fats, 



Non -nitrogenous extractive matters, 



Cellulose, 



Ash, 



15.0 per cent. 

 2.4 

 0.6 

 6.4 

 4.2 

 1.4 



