52 



HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. 



[Jan. 



E. — THE COMPOSITION OF PURSLANE (Porkdaca oleracea). 



During the present summer this department received a 

 letter from a Massacliusetts farmer inquiring concerning the 

 feeding value of purslane. He stated that he had been 

 feeding it to his cows, and had noticed a decided increase in 

 the quantity of milk ; and that, while the animals at first re- 

 fused to eat it, they soon became accustomed to it, and con- 

 sumed considerable quantities daily. At the time we had no 

 analysis of the material on hand, consequently a sample was 

 procured and examined. Since making the analysis, we 

 have found a similar analj^sis made by the Indiana station.* 

 The results are presented below : — 



The analyses shoAV that the plant contains a very large 

 percentage of water, mineral constituents and nitrogenous 

 matter (protein). 



The Missouri station* found .29 per cent, of nitrogen, 

 .85 per cent, of potash and .045 per cent, of phosphoric 

 acid in the green matter, equivalent to approximately 2 per 

 cent, of nitrogen, 6 per cent, of potash and .3 per cent, of 

 phosphoric acid in dry matter. We have found .37 per cent, 

 of nitrogen, equivalent to 4.1 per cent, of nitrogen in dry 

 matter. The percentage of potash present in the Missouri 

 sample is exceptionally large. The plants selected by us 

 must have been in an earlier stage of growth than those of 

 the Indiana and Missouri stations, for both the water and 

 the protein content are very high. 



• Farmers' Bulletin, 1 19, Department of Agriculture. 



