412 
Composition and Nutritive Value of St7xiw. 
Detailed Composition. 
Water 20-50 16-G6 
Oil, wax, and chloropliyle 3*59 5'01 
^Albumen and other soluble protein compounds 5'00 1'81 
Su,i^ar, mucilage, extractive matters, &c., soluble) jg.Qy 15'98 
in water j 
Digestible tibre, &c lG-42 28-88 
Soluble iuorganic matter 4-43 4-37 
flnsoluble protein compounds 8-75 G-25 
Indigestible woody fibre 25-02 17-()4 
Insoluble inorganic matter 2-(52 3-40 
100-00 100-00 
*Containiiig nitrogen -SO '29 
tCoiitaining nitrogen 1-40 I'OO 
Total percentage of nitrogen 2-20 1-29 
Equal to protein compounds 13-75 8-06 
Total ash 7-05 7-77 
It appears from these analyses — 
1. That hay, especially clover-hay, is much richer in albu- 
minous or flesh-forming compounds than straw. 
2. That it contains also more oil and fatty matters. 
3. That both clover and meadow-hay, when well made, are 
much richer in sugar and other soluble matters than straw. Good 
meadow-hay especially contains a good deal of sugar, and is 
sweet to the taste. 
4. That the proportion of indigestible woody fibre, particu- 
larly in meadow-hay, is much smaller than in straw ; and 
5. That good meadow-hay contains more digestible fibre than 
clover-hay. 
For these reasons, both clover and meadow-hay are, as feeding 
substances, superior to straw. 
The kinds of straw that approach in composition the nearest 
to hay are green oat-straw and pea-haulm. 
It has been stated already that the state of maturity in which 
straw is harvested materially affects its composition and feeding 
value ; likewise, that probably the climate and character of the 
land have great influence in producing the most nutritious 
kind of straw. It is, therefore, impossible to pronounce in 
a general way whether wheat, oat, or barley straw is the most 
valuable for feeding purposes. Assuming, however, the land 
and climate to be equally well adapted for producing the best 
kind of straw in each case, and the crops to have been harvested 
in the same stage of maturity, I am inclined to place the dif- 
ferent kinds of straw in the following order, beginning with the 
