92 



Composition of Barleys. 



Composition of Barleys. 



In connection with an article contained in the Journal of 

 the Board of Agriculture for December, 1900, as to the com- 

 position of barleys grown after roots in Kent in 1899, it may 

 be of interest to notice the result of the analj-ses of a number 

 of samples of barley supplied to the South Eastern Agricul- 

 tural College, Wye, by the authorities of the Brewers 5 

 Exhibition. 



Of the fourteen samples supplied by that institution and 

 submitted to analysis, seven were high-class barleys, prize- 

 winners in their respective classes ; four others were picked 

 out as poor barleys, which could hardly be sold as malting 

 barley; and, finally, by way of comparison, three highly- 

 placed foreign barleys were also analysed. 



The mean average results of the analyses of the above 

 three classes of barleys will be found compared in the accom- 

 panying table with the mean average analyses of barley 

 grown in 1899 after roots eaten off : — 



Water - 

 Proteids - 

 Starch - 

 Crude fat 

 Crude fibre 

 Ash 



Barley after 

 Roots, 1899. 



i6'23 

 915 

 57'9 



1- 65 

 4*1 



2- 27 



Prize Barleys, 

 1900. 



i6- 3 



7 "4 

 6i- 5 



1 '5 

 3-8 

 2-23 



Poor Barleys, 

 1900. 



16-8 

 8-2 

 58-0 



2- 28 



3- 82 

 2-08 



Foreign. 



15-2 

 7-85 

 6j - 5 



1 '93 

 4-12 

 2-24 



The prize English barleys were poorer in proteids or 

 nitrogenous matter, and richer in starch than any others ; 

 whereas the barleys grown after roots were the richest in 

 nitrogenous matter and poorest in starch. Four barleys with 

 the lowest proteid content were those which received the 

 highest awards among the prize barleys. In the four 

 inferior samples of English barley the so-called oil, which 

 really represents matter of all sorts soluble in ether, was 

 distinctly above the average, whilst the proportion of ash 

 was low. This indicated that one cause of their inferiority 

 was probably due to washing by rain, which had reduced the 

 mineral matter ; followed by some heating in stack, which had 



