THE BARLEY CROP. 



131 



goes during the operation have been well investigated, 

 and have been rendered available in feeding experiments 

 which have from time to time been carried on. The most 

 complete of these investigations was conducted by Dr. 

 Thomson, of Glasgow, 1 in order to determine the actual 

 comparative values of raw and malted grain for feeding 

 purposes, which clearly showed that the process of malt- 

 ing converted the insoluble starch into the soluble sugar, 

 but at the expense of a portion of the starch, and also 

 of the nitrogen compounds of the grain, which were 

 entirely lost. These were separated either in the form of 

 carbonic acid, or were dissolved out with a portion of the 

 mineral matter also, in the steep liquor ; so that when the 

 process of malting was completed, the barley was found 

 to have lost about 8 per cent, of its actual ingredients by 

 the process of germination, and about 12 per cent, in ad- 

 dition by the evaporation of the water it naturally con- 

 tained, Avhich was dissipated by the action of the kiln in 

 drying the malt. 



Dr. Thomson thus makes up the 8 per cent, of loss, ex- 

 cluding the loss by kiln-drying: 



Carried off by the steep, 1'5 



Dissipated on the floor, 3' 



Boots, sepai-ated by cleaning, 3* 



Waste, J5 



8-0 



When the process is completed, the composition of the 

 malt compared with the barley is represented as follows : 



1 Report to Government on Feeding Cattle with Malt, by Dr. T. and Dr. 

 R. D. Thomson, of Glasgow, 1844. 



