124 



Feeds and Feeding. 



Composition of the several parts of the com grain — New Jersey 



Station. 



162. What the table shows. — The germ, wMcL. constitutes only 

 about 10 per cent, of the kernel, contains 65 per cent, of tlie 

 ether extract, 61.5 per cent, of the mineral matter, 71 per cent. 

 of the phosphoric acid, 60 per cent, of the potash and 16.3 per 

 cent, of the nitrogen or protein of the whole grain. The starchy- 

 portion of the grain carries very little crude fiber or ash, but is 

 rich in carbohydrates in the form of starch. The skin yields 

 most of the crude fiber, the whole amount being small. 



163. Starch production. — Briefly described, starch is obtained 

 from the com grain in the following manner: The corn is gener- 

 ally soaked until soft and then ground to meal in running water. 

 The hulls or husks float to the surface and are removed; the 

 germs sink to the bottom, and the water, carrying with it the 

 gluten and starch, passes on through long troughs, in which the 

 starch, being the heavier of the two, settles to the bottom while 

 the gluten floats on. The various by-products thus separated are 

 dried and sold, either separately or combined, under various 

 names, while the resulting starch, freed from these substances, is 

 treated in different ways for various manufactured products. 



164. Of what the by-products consist. — All the by-products 

 combined constitute what is known as gluten feed, which is really 

 the com grata less the starch it carries. This feed is rich in 

 ether extract and protein, and is weU suited for dairy cows and 

 fattening stock. 



