500 
Fourth  Report  on  the  Analysis 
per  cent,  of  its  ash  in  phosphoric  acid  and  31  per  cent,  of  potash, 
the  quantities  of  these  two  substances  in  oats  being  something 
more  than  half  these  numbers  : much  of  this  difference,  however, 
is  due  to  the  high  per  centage  of  silica  in  oats — a substance  which 
has  comparatively  no  place  in  the  composition  of  the  grain  of 
wheat.  The  further  discussion  of  this  point  will  be  deferred  till 
we  have  exhibited  the  analysis  of  oat-straw,  to  which  we  now 
pass. 
Per  centage  of  water  and  ash  in  the  straw  of  oats  : — 
Straw  of  Hopeton  Oats  on  Clay 
„ „ on  Sand 
Straw  of  Potato-Oats  on  Clay  . 
„ „ on  Sand  . 
The  composition  of  these 
table : — 
Composition  in  100  parts  of  the  ash  of  oat  straw  with  the  chaff,  on  clay 
and  on  sand  : — * 
, Water. 
. . ' 11-85 
. . 9-44 
. . 11-40 
. . 10-20 
ashes  is  given 
, , Ash  calculated 
s ' on  dry  substance. ' 
5-9G  0-76 
4-41  4-95 
4-68  5-20 
4-82  5-36 
in  the  following 
Silica 
Phosphoric  Acid  . 
Sulphuric  Acid  . 
Carbonic  Acid  . 
Lime 
Magnesia  . 
Peroxide  of  Iron 
Potash 
Soda 
Chloride  of  Potassium  . 
Chloride  of  Sodium 
Total  . . . 
Straw  of  Potato-Oats. 
Straw  of 
Hopeton 
Oats. 
On  Clay. 
On  Sand. 
On  Sand. 
49-54 
45-G9 
53-41 
5-32 
7-02 
2-SG 
2-25 
3-44 
4-36 
— 
4-08 
— 
8-61 
7- 52 
4-89 
5-47 
3-58 
2-33 
1-12 
•04 
2-70 
21-72 
20*01 
1G-0G 
2-57 
3-23 
— 
— 
— 
8-12 
3-38 
4-14 
5-24 
99-98 
99-95 
99-97 
The  total  sulphur  on  1000  grains  of  these  straws  being  (on  the 
undried  straw) — 
Hopeton-Oat  Straw.  Potato- Oat  Straw*. ' 
On  Clay.  On  Sami.  On  Clay.  On  Sand.  J 
1-31  ..  1-24  1-37  ..  2-12 
From  the  foregoing  results  we  may  with  tolerable  safety  deduce 
the  average  mineral  composition  of  oats  and  oat-straw. 
" The  ash  of  the  Hopeton-oat  straw  from  clay  soil  was  analyzed,  hut  the  hook  in 
which  the  results  were  entered  was  lost,  and  we  were  prevented  by  want  of  material 
from  making  them  good. 
