on Permanent Meadoiv Land. 
427 
of the crude fatty matter., was to pass ether through a dried and 
weighed portion of the finely ground hay, until it came through 
colourless. For this purpose, he devised an apparatus, by means 
of which the ether was continuously distilled from the extract, 
and repassed through the substance. At the end of the first 
treatment in this way, that is, when the ether passed through 
colourless, the substance was re-dried in the water bath, and 
then submitted to a second extraction in the ether-apparatus. 
The ether was finally distilled from the total ether-extract ; and 
the remaining (jreen fatty matter dried in a water bath, until it 
no longer lost weiarht. 
From what has already been said of the character of the " Fatty 
matter," the quantity of which in the respective hays, was deter- 
mined by the methods just described, it would be useless to go 
into much detail as to the amounts found in the different speci- 
mens. It is the less desirable, too, to do so, as the circumstances 
and extent of its occurrence will be sufficiently brought to light, 
in taking the summary view of the composition of the different 
hays, with which we now propose to conclude our Report. The 
individual determinations of the Fatty matter Avill be found in 
Table IX. in the Appendix ; and the mean percentages of it 
are embodied with those of the other constituents in Table 
XVII., to which attention is next, and lastly, to be directed. 
SUMJIAEY OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE HaY. 
In Table XVII. is given a summary view of the collective 
composition of the specimens of hay grown in the Third Season 
(1858), on those plots the produce of which was selected for the 
botanical separations. In the upper Division of the Table, the 
percentages of the several constituents in the fresh hay as carted 
from the land, are given. In the middle Division, the percentages 
in the Dry substance of the hay are given. And in the lowest 
Division, is a summary statement of the general description of 
the herbage on the respective plots. The means are thus 
afforded, of considering the chemical composition of the re- 
spective hays, in connection with the other known characters of 
the herbage. The constituents given are — 
1st. Nitrogenous substance. 
2nd. Fatty matter. 
3rd. Woody-fibre. 
4th. Other non-nitrogenous vegetable compounds. 
5th. Mineral matter. 
6th. Total Dry substance. 
7 th. AVater. 
