136 MAINIC AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I906. 



The ash or mineral matter of a food is what remains behind 

 after the oxidation is complete. Being already fully oxidized 

 it can furnish no energy, although the ash constituents may be 

 absolutely essential to the animal. 



In the table below is given the average composition of the 

 principal cereals used for food. The analyses are quoted from 

 Bui. 13, Part 9, Bureau of Chemistry, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture. With the exception of the rice, the analyses 

 represent American grown grains. 



Average composition 



of cereal grains. 











.s 



p 





« . 

 J-.Q 



0? 

 •-A £ 



-3! 



c 



Barley, unliulled 



Per 



cent. 

 10.85 



10.75 



10.00 



12.00 



10.50 



10.60 



Per 



cent. 

 11.00 



10.00 



12.00 



8.00 



12.25 



12.25 



Per 

 cent 

 2.25 



4.25 



4.50 



2.00 



1.50 



1.75 



Per 



cent. 

 8.85 



1.75 



12.00 



1.00 



2.10 



2.40 



Per 



cent. 

 69.55 



71.75 



58.00 



76.00 



71.75 



71.25 



Per 



cent. 

 2.50 



1.50 



3.50 



1.00 



1.90 



1.75 



Cal. 

 per lb. 

 1735 





1799 



Oats, uiiliullert 



1791 



Rice, hulled 



1716 



Rye 



1743 



Wheat 



1750 







* Calculated. 



From an inspection of the table it will be seen that of the six 

 cereals considered, corn ranks fifth in the amount of protein 

 which it contains, carrying only about four-fifths as much pro- 

 tein as wheat. On the other hand, with the single exception of 

 oats, it contains far more fat than the other cereals and two and 

 one-half times the quantity found in wheat. It is compara- 

 tively poor in fiber and ash, but leads in the heat of combustion, 

 a fact that is due to the large proportion of fat which it carries. 



Since the cereals are purchased for the most part in the form 

 of flours or meals, comparisons based upon the relative compo- 

 sition of these products would be more valuable than those just 

 made. In most of the digestion experiments carried out at this 

 Station, Pillsbury's Best flour and a granulated corn meal have 

 been used. In the following table the composition of these 

 materials is compared with that of the original corn, with hom- 

 iny, and also with meal prepared by the old process, still used 

 in some sections of the country. 



