CHEMISTRY OF THE CEOP. 24? 



" Ervalenta/' &c. The Large, or Provence Lentil, is of a 

 whitish or cream colour, compressed shape, and about the 

 size of a pea. The whole plant is of a more vigorous 

 growth than the others, and is better suited for forage 

 purposes than for cultivation for its seed. 



The chemistry of the lentil has been, as might be ex- 

 pected, more attended to by continental chemists than 

 by our own. The organic composition of the seed is given 

 by Boussingault as follows : 



Nitrogen compounds, 22'0 



Starch, 40'0 



Gum, 7'0 



Sugar, 1'5 



Fatty matter, 2'5 



Husk, 12-0 



Water, 12'5 



Ash (mineral matter), 2'5 



1000 



Gasparin 1 states that the grain contains 4 per cent, of 

 nitrogen, equal to about 25 per cent, of flesh-forming 

 compounds, and that the straw contains I'Ol per cent, of 

 nitrogen, or about 7 per cent, of the same valuable com- 

 pounds. The water in the grain he gives at from 9 per 

 cent, to 14 per cent. Bracconot and Einhof 2 have inves- 

 tigated its composition with very similar results. 



The composition of the inorganic or mineral matter is 

 thus given : 3 



Potash,.. 34-31 27-84 



Soda 13-3 10-80 



Lime, 6-24 5'07 



Magnesia, 2'44 . 1-90 



Peroxide of Iron, 1*98 1'61 



Phosphoric acid, 35'82 29-07 



Silica, : 1'31 1'07 



Chlorine, 4'56 378 



Carbonic acid, ... 15'83 



Charcoal and loss, ... 3'03 



100-00 



1 Cours <ff Agriculture, tome iii. p. 797. 



2 Ancien Journal de Gehl, tome vi. p. 542. 



3 Levy, Revue Scien. et Indust., tome xxiv. p. 72. 



