40G 
Cumyosition and Nutriiivc Value of Stixno. 
oat-hay, than wlicn harvcstfd in the usual way. A good deal of 
expense incurred in threshing- the crop and cutting it into chaff 
would be saved were this ])lan adopted. 
a. We sec that the crude woody fibre of oat-straw is rendered 
soluble to a considerable extent by dilute alkaline and acid 
liquids. Indeed it appears to be more easily acted upon by 
these solvents than that of wheat-straw ; and the preference given 
to oat-straw as a feeding material may be partly due to this cir- 
cumstance. 
9. The proportions of mineral matters here exhibited do not 
greatly vary ; but there is a material difference in the qualita- 
tive composition of the ash. In the green sample nearly 6 per 
cent, of soluble ash-constituents, and onl}' 1 per cent, of insoluble 
mineral matters, exist: whilst the fairly ripe contains Si**,, of 
solu.ble, and 2t-V insoluble, mineral matters, and the over- 
ripe only 2 iV per cent, of soluble, and 4 per cent, of insoluble. 
Pea-Straw. 
An excellent sample of pea-sti'aw, grown in 1860, on analysis, 
gave the following results : — 
General Composition. 
Water 16-02 
Soluble organic matter 11"28 
Soluble inorganic matter 2w2 
Insoluble organic matter 67'77 
Insoluble mineral matter 2'21 
100-00 
Detailed Composition. 
Water lG-02 
Oil 2-34: 
*Albumen and other soluble ^jvotciu compounds 2-96 
Suo;ar, mucilage, extractive matters, &c. (.solulilc in water) . . 8-32 
Digestible fibre, &c 10-74 
Soluble inorganic matter 2-72 
-flusolublc protein compounds 5-00 
Woody fibre 42-79 
Insoluble inorganic matter 2-21 
100-00 
'■'Containing nitrogen *474 
tContaiiiiiig nitrogen '945 
Total percentage of nitrogen 1-419 
Equal to protein compounds 8-86 
Total percentage of asli 4 -OS 
Pea-straw on an average contains about 5 per cent, of ash. 
Tlie composition of the ash has l)cen ascertained by Hertwig, 
who gives it as follows : — 
