COMPOUNDS OF NUTRITION 



43 



The roots and leaves of beets and turnips present a 

 striking difference in mineral-content: 



There appears to be a tendency for mineral compounds 

 to accumulate in the leaves of plants, and leafy plants 

 are, as a rule, those which appropriate these most freely. 



The ash of the outside of the stem and of the husks of 

 seeds is in relatively large proportions, due sometimes to 

 an excess of silica. Husked rice kernels contain not over .5 

 per cent of ash, while the husks contain 39 per cent or over. 



64. Influence of manufacturing processes on the ash 

 constituents. — The cattle-food market is abundantly 

 supplied with by-products from certain manufacturing 

 industries, such as milling, brewing, and starch produc- 

 tion. One prominent by-product is wheat bran. As this 

 is the outside of the kernel, we would naturally expect, 

 in view of the previous statements, that it would be rich 

 in mineral compounds, and we find such to be the case. 

 The wheat kernel contains about 2 per cent of ash, wheat 

 bran about 6 per cent, and wheat flour about .5 per cent. 

 Bran is rich in needed mineral compounds. 



