AND THE SUBSTITUTES FOB OIL-CAKES. 63 



PROPORTION OF GLUTEN AND WATER TN FOOD. 



Per Cent. 

 Gluten. Water. 



Wheaten bread 6 45 



Wheat (whole grain) 12 16 



Whole bran (outer and inner skins) .. 14 to 18 13 



Fine flour 10 14 



Oatmeal 18 14 



Peascmeal 24 14 



Beans 25 12 



Lentils 25 12 



Figs ,6 21 



Kice 7 12 



Potatoes 2 75 



Lean Beef 19 78 



Cheese 29 to 45 36 to 44 



Cabbage 4f 86 



Cauliflower 4 88 



Swedes 1-8 89 to 90 



White turnips T4 90 to 92 



Turnip-tops 2 88 



Carrots -6 87 



Parsnips 1-2 82 to 84 



Mangolds 1-5 87 to 88 



You will perceive in beans there is a large proportion of 

 gluten, or flesh-forming matters. In this table the heading 

 gluten comprises not only the particular flesh-forming principle 

 existing in wheaten flour, but it also applies to other similar 

 constituents which are capable of producing flesh. In lentils 

 there exists the same proportion of flesh-forming matters ; 

 all leguminous seeds are rich in flesh-forming substances, and 

 are well adapted for working animals ; and whilst such food 

 is useful for them it is likewise useful for growing stock or for 

 milch cows. In the milk a very considerable portion of nitro- 

 genised constituents, or of flesh-forming matters, is secreted ; and 

 hence much nitrogenised food or food containing the same 

 principles which are contained in cheese must be given to 

 animals, if they are to supply good milk ; and experience has 

 established this fact, that nothing is so conducive to rich milk 

 as peasemeal, or beans, or oil-cake. Bean-meal however is not 

 so well adapted for fattening animals as oil-cake ; for this reason, 

 that fattening animals, in addition to flesh-forming matters, 

 require food which either contains ready-made fat or constituents 

 from which fat is easily produced. 



Now, constituents from which fat is easily formed are the fol- 

 lowing : sugar, starch, and the young cellular fibre. These 

 matters are readily transformed into fat, but it is well to remem- 

 ber that fat which pre-exists in food is better adapted for 

 fattening purposes than constituents which can be transformed 

 into fat. Bearing those general remarks on the adaptation of th e 



