184 Agricultural Chemistry. 



oven to kill the embryo. The sprouts are then removed, dried 

 and ground, and put upon the market as a feeding-stuff under 

 the name of "malt sprouts." The remaining grain, known as 

 "malt," does not differ much in composition from the original 

 barley ; but the germinating process has produced and activated 

 an enzyme of the seed, known as "diastase." If the malt is 

 heated now with water for some time at 120 F., a process known 

 as ' ' mashing, ' ' this enzyme converts the starch of the grain into 

 soluble carbohydrates. Diastase has been found capable of thus 

 transforming 2000 times its own weight of starch into dextrines 

 or maltose. Since the amount of this enzyme in barley is capable 

 of transforming much more starch than is associated with it, 

 unmalted barley or other starchy grains, such as corn, are fre- 

 quently added to the mash. The maltose produced in this man- 

 ner, together with other substances, is dissolved in the liquor of 

 the mash and may be drawn off and seeded with the proper yeast 

 to undergo alcoholic fermentation. This fermentation results 

 in the production of beer and other liquors. 



The residual grain, which contains the fat and protein orig- 

 inally present, is placed upon the feeding stuff market as "wet 

 or dried brewers' grains." The latter form is preferred for 

 its more economical handling and better keeping qualities. 



Barley straw, when used in feeding experiments, has been 

 shown to be more completely digested by ruminants than is the 

 straw of wheat or rye, thus giving it a limited value for feeding 

 purposes. This fact has also been demonstrated by practice. 



Oats is also a crop which spring sowing and tillage aids. 

 The spring tillage, in preparing the land for sowing, acts as ail 

 aid to nitrification and makes it unnecessary to apply the directly 

 available nitrogenous fertilizers. But its short growing season 

 renders it dependent upon liberal manuring to produce max- 

 imum yields. Excess of nitrogenous manure should be avoided 

 because of the disastrous results from over-development of the 

 foliage of the crop. Much of the "lodging" of oat crops on 



