70 WHEAT CULTUIIE. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

 ANALYSES OF WHEAT AND STRAW. 



Knowing the constituents of the wheat plant both 

 grain and straw will aid very much in determining 

 what parts are derived from the earth and what from the 

 atmosphere, respectively, as well as what is to be done, 

 by cultivation, to supply those wants so as to secure the 

 best results. 



Burning the grain and straw, reducing them to ashes, 

 shows the mineral or inorganic ingredients which are ob- 

 tained from the soil ; chemical decomposition and separa- 

 tion shows the organic and nutritive ingredients, which 

 are mostly obtained from the atmosphere. 



Vcelcker proves that a large percentage of wheat is 

 etarch, gluten, and sugar, while straw contains a large 

 per cent of carbon and silica. 



Analysis by Boussingault shows that wheat contains, in 

 one hundred parts : Carbon, 46.10 ; oxygen, 43.40 ; hy- 

 drogen, 5.80; nitrogen, 2.30; ash, 2.40=100. These 

 are derived from both air and soil, but mostly from the 

 air. 



Prof. Way gives the following analyses of the ashes of 

 grain and straw, separately, in one hundred parts : 

 GRAIN Silica, 5.63; phosphoric acid, 43.98; sulphuric 

 acid, 0.21; lime, 1.80; magnesia, 11.69; peroxide of 

 iron, 0.29; potash, 34.51; soda, 1.87; loss, 0.02. Of 

 STRAW Silica, 69.36 ; phosphoric acid, 5.24; sulphuric 

 acid, 4.45; lime, 6.96; magnesia, 1.45; peroxide of 

 iron, 0.29; potash, 11.79; soda, none; loss, 0.46. 

 Much silica in the straw, far more than in the grain, 

 and is derived from the soil. 



In " Encyclopedia of Agriculture" we find the follow- 



