Composition and Nutritive Value of Straw. 
403 
come more manifest Avhen the proportion of moisture is become? 
the same in each samph^ — or, in otlier words, when we examine 
the three samples after having been stacked for some time. In 
this state straw contains on an average 16 per cent, of moisture. 
In the following table I have, therefore, calculated the composi- 
tion of these three samples with IG per cent, moisture, and have 
likewise given the composition of each in a perfectly dry state 
(dried at 212=) :— 
Tahk shoicing the Edimated Composition irlieii Dried. 
Oat-st 
■aw c 
it ill G 
veon 
Oat- 
straw 
cut when 
Oat- 
^rraw 
cut when 
Coiuli 
lion, 
Ilavvo 
ted 
Fairly 
liipe 
, Harvi 
stcd 
Ovcr- 
llipe. 
Harvested 
on the 2utli of Aug., 
on the 20th of Aug., 
on the 2iitli of Sept., 
1860. 
1860. 
1S60. 
CalcH 
a ted 
Calculated 
Calculated 
Calculated 
1o contain 
Calculated 
to contain 
Calculated 
to contain 
Drj 
16 per 
cent. 
Do-. 
! G per 
cent. 
Dry. 
IB per 
cent. 
ol Moit 
ture. 
of Jloisture. 
oiMoisture. 

General Cojipositio.v. 



IG 
00 
16 
00 
16 
•00 
Soluble oi'gauic malter 
27 
5-2 
23 
12 
IG' 
97 
14 
25 
g 
82 
5 
•72 
Soluble mineral matter 
G • 
95 
5 
84 
4- 
32 
3 
63 
2 
71 
2 
27 
Insoluble organic matter 
G4- 
39 
54 
09 
75- 
48 
63 
41 
85 
Gl 
71 
•92 
Insoluble mineral matter 
i- 
U 
95 
3- 
23 
o 
71 
4 
86 
4 
09 
100- 
00 
100 
00 
100^ 

00 
100 
00 
100 
00 
100 
00 
Detailed Cobiposition. 
IG 
00 
16 
00 
IG 
00 
Oil 
1 
88 
1 
57 
\- 
25 
1 
05 
1 
49 
1 
25 
*Soluble protein compounds 
6 
5G 
5 
51 
3 
13 
2 
62 
1 
54 
1 
29 
Sugar, gum, mucilage, and ex-) 
19 
OS 
16 
•04 
12- 
59 
10 
57 
3 
79 
3 
•19 
flnsoluble protein compounds . . 
31 
36 
26 
•34 
35 
94 
30 
17 
04 
27 
75 
3 
54 
2 
98 
1 
74 
1 
40 
2 
79 
2 
•36 
Indigestible woody fibre .. 
29 
57 
24 
■8G 
37 
81 
31 
78 
49 
78 
41 
•82 
Soluble mineral matters . . 
G 
88 
5 
•76 
4 
32 
3 
G4 
2 
71 
2 
•26 
Insoluble mineral matters 
1 
13 
94 
3 
22 
2 
71 
4 
•86 
4 
•OS 
100 
00 
100 
•00 
100 
00 
100 
00 
100 
•00 
100 
00 
1 
•05 
•88 
48 
40 
24 
20 
tContaining nitrogen 
•57 
•47 
28 
23 
44 
36 
Total percentage of nitrogen . . 
1 
•62 
1 
•35 
76 
•63 
•68 
•56 
Equal to protein compounds .. 
10 
•10 
8 
•49 
4 
87 
4 
•OS 
4 
•33 
3 
•65 
Percentage of ash 
7 
■09 
G 
•79 
7 
55 
6 
34 
5? 
6 
•36 
The attentive perusal of these analytical results suggests the 
following observations : — , 
1. In the first place, the large proportion of albuminous com- 
pounds in green oat-straw deserves to be specially noticed : it is as 
large in amount as occurs on an average in ordinary meadow- 
