174 



Nutritive Matter of Grasses. 



taken collectively — since, with our present knowledge of the pro- 

 perties of the nitrogenous principles, we cannot doubt that treat- 

 ment with hot water would fail to extract the most nutritive 

 portions of the grass. 



As a supplement to Mr. Sinclair's excellent work, and a sub- 

 ject not unworthy of considerable labour, it seemed desirable to 

 examine some of these grasses anew, bringing to the inquiry the 

 aid of more recent physiological principles and the methods of 

 modern chemical research. I freely own, however, that it may 

 be objected to the analyses which are now published, that they 

 do not, any more than those of Mr. Sinclair, put us in possession 

 of the ivliole truth — such is the case ; but, upon consideration, it 

 will be found that the most important points are elicited by 

 them and that they furnish a better means of judging than before 

 existed. 



To have undertaken the proximate analysis of so large a series 

 of specimens as the grasses present, — to have separately ascer- 

 tained the quantity of each different nitrogenous and non-nitro- 

 genous principle they contained, would have been, if not impos- 

 sible (within any moderate space of time) at least useless, for, 

 as we have seen, our other knowledge of the nutrition of animals 

 is not sufficiently advanced to enable us to make use of such 

 data. But, on the other hand, it was possible to direct our 

 efforts to the acquisition of that class of facts which could 

 immediately be made available in relation to existing physio- 

 logical knowledge ; and with that view I decided upon ascer- 

 taining, so far as might be, not the quantity of each vegetable 

 principle present in the different grasses, but that of each class 

 of such principles. The analyses that follow will be found to 

 embrace the following particulars : — 



1st. The proportion of water in each grass as taken from the 

 field. The necessity for this determination is obvious. 



2nd. The proportion of albuminous or flesh-forming 'principles^ 

 including, without distinction, all the nitrogenous principles. 



3rd. The proportion of oily or fatty matters, which may be 

 called fat-producing principles. 



4th. The proportion of elements of respiration or heat pro- 

 ducing principles, under which head are comprised starch, gum, 

 sugar, pectic acid, &c., in fact all the non-nitrogenous prin- 

 ciples with the exception of fatty matters and woody fibre. 



5th. Woody fibre. 



6th. Mineral matter or ash. 



It will be observed that some of these particulars are rather of 

 negative than of direct interest ; water, for instance, in a plant 



