The Proper Office of Siraw on a Farm. 
169 
knowlcdjjc and experience will render it more serviceable, can 
hardly, from the results of their experience, support those 
estimates of the value of common straw, which are based on 
the above-named theories of nutrition : we cannot speak of oil 
and fat, starch and suffar, as certainly convertible substances, 
— if not convertible terms. 
Thus far we have been speaking of the worth of wheat, bar- 
lev, and oat straw, but there is perhaps a more important be- 
cause a more valuable kind of straw, that of beans and peas, still 
to be noticed, — the former kind being specially worthy of at- 
tention from the greater breadth that is grown. 
It may be worth while to compare Professor Way's analysis 
of bean-straw, as given by Mr. Horsfall in his Essay, with two 
analyses of hay derived from the same source. 
Bean-straw. Hay, 1st Crop. Hay, 2nd Crop. 
Moisture 14-47 12-02 11-87 
AlbuminoxTs matters .. .. 16-38 9-24 9-84 
Oil and fatty matters .. .. 2-23 2-68 6-84 
Starch and <;um 31-63 39-75 42-25 
Woody fibre 25-84 27-41 19-77 
Mineral matter 9-45 8-90 9-43 
100-00 lOO'OO 100-00 
In these analyses several points are worthy of notice. First, 
the general similarity of the constituents of the bean-straw and 
the first crop of hay, with the important exception that the former 
is stated to contain 16 per cent, of albuminous matter, against 
only 9 in the latter ; in either case a quantity widely differing 
from the 2 or 3 per cent, assigned to such substances in the 
analyses of wheat, barley, or oat straw. 
Again, the difference between the first and second crop of hay 
should be observed, because it probably arose from the latter being 
cut before it arrived at full maturity ; and similar variations would 
probably be found in the straw of cereals if cut at different stages 
of their growth. The increase of oil and fatty matter, starch, 
and gum, accompanied by a proportionate decrease of woody fibre, 
is very instructive, and would suggest as early cutting of all 
plants, for the sake of the fodder, as is compatible with the 
maturity of the grain. 
But if, according to analysis, bean-straw would appear to ap- 
proximate to the value of hay, if not to surpass it, how comes it 
that its merits have not been more generally recognised and 
appreciated ? 
The best answer will perhaps be found by pointing to the 
somewhat similar fate of rape-cake. Until Mr. Pusey, prompted 
probably by the teaching of chemical analysis, advocated the 
use of rape-cake as food, it was called oil-dust, and used almost 
exclusively as manure. 
