332 MANUAL OF OAnLE-FEEDING. 



especially as regards protein^ according to tlie conditions 

 under whieli it is grown and harvested (soil, manuring, 

 climate, weather, variety, degree of ripeness, etc.), althongh 

 ripe grain of any particular kind is more constant in its 

 composition than forage crops. Wheat and oats appear to 

 he more variable tlian rye or barley ; in the diy matter of 

 American winter w^heat from 9.33 per cent, to 10.54 per 

 cent, of protein has been found by different observers. In 

 spring wheat the range w^as 8.83 per cent, to 16.89 per 

 cent. In some late experiments in Poppelsdorf, the per- 

 centage of protein in a variety of wheat already rich in 

 this substance was increased from 10.3 in the unmanured 

 wheat to 17.6 by an abundant manuring with superphos- 

 phates, to 21.4 by manuring wdth soluble nitrogen com- 

 pounds (ammonia salts and nitrates), and to 22.4 by manur- 

 ing with phosphates and nitrogen compounds ; the protein 

 of the straw was respectively 3.4 per cent., 3.7 per cent., 

 and 6.2 per cent. 



Other experimenters, indeed, have not been able to show 

 such a decided effect of manuring on the composition of 

 the cereals, and this effect may be, according to circum- 

 stances, either increased or diminished, or even entirely 

 nullified by other factors, such as the quality of the soil, 

 the weather, etc. Still, as a general rule, we are justified 

 in expecting a more nitrogenous grain on a fruitful, highly 

 manured soil than on its opposite or on one of only average 

 quality. 



Wheat, — The high value of wheat as food for man for- 

 bids its use as cattle food under ordinary circumstances. 

 The average of all available analyses of American wheat 

 is as follows : * 



* Report Conn. Agl. Expt, Station, 1879, p, 141, 



