54 THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



tant part of the protein-content of plants and of animal 

 tissues, both in quantity and in having a maximum 

 nutritive usefulness. 



68. Plant globulins. — ^In plants these proteins seem 

 to be especially abundant and widespread. Our most 

 recent and most reliable knowledge of plant proteins 

 comes from investigations by Osborne. In these researches 

 the seeds of many species of agricultural plants were 

 studied, all of which were found to contain globulins. 

 In some the proteins consisted, largely of these com- 

 pounds. The percentage content in certain seeds was 

 determined approxinjately: 



Table XIX. Globuuks in Cebtain Seeds 



Per cent Per cent 



Kidney bean ... 20. Lentil 13. 



Cottonseed meal 15.8 Horse bean . . 17. 



Peas 10. Maize .4 



Lupin . 26.2 Soybean . . chiefly globulin 



Wheat 6 



The seeds of the legumes, as a rule, contain the larg- 

 est proportion of these proteins, the cereal grains 

 having only a very small part of their protein in this 

 form. 



From present knowledge, many seeds appear to have 

 characteristic globulins which differ among themselves 

 in their chemical properties. These have been given 

 names derived from the general names of the species in 

 which they are found. Thus we have amandin in almonds, 

 avenalin in oats, corylin in walnuts, excelsin from the 

 Brazil-nut, phaseolin in several species of beans, glycin 

 in the soybean, maysin in maize, vicilin in horse beans, 

 lentils, and peas, vignin in the cowpea, and tuberin in 

 the potato. One globulin called edestin appears to be 



