504 
Fourth  Report  on  the  Analysis 
It  is  always  to  be  expected  that  those  kinds  of  grain  which  are 
surrounded  by  a silicious  envelope  should  present  far  greater 
differences  in  mineral  composition  than  naked  seeds.  In  the  latter 
case  the  organic  matter  is  nearly  homogeneous  throughout;  in 
the  case  of  barley  and  oats  we  have  a true  seed  with  a thick  sili- 
cious skin  ; and  from  differences  in  variety  or  in  soil  and  climate, 
which  may  alter  the  relation  in  quantity  between  the  seed  and  its 
envelope,  must  arise  very  great  variation  in  the  composition  of  the 
respective  ashes.  The  following  are  analyses  of  two  specimens  of 
the  straw  of  barley.  By  an  oversight  application  was  not  made 
for  the  straws  of  the  crops  grown  upon  sand,  until  it  was  too  late 
to  obtain  them  : — 
Barley  Straw. 
Per  centage  of  water  and  ash  in  Moldavian  Barley  Straw  : — 
Water.  Asl,.  Af  “^‘ed 
on  dry  substance. 
Produce  on  clay  ....  10-00  • • 6*12  • • 6-80 
Sulphur  on  1000  grains  . 1-5G  • • • • • • 
The  “ awn  ” of  the  barley  was  burnt  with  the  straw. 
Composition  in  100  parts  of  the  ash  of  Barley  Straw  (grown  on  clay)  : — 
Moldavian 
Chevalier 
Barley  Straw. 
Barley  Straw. 
Silica  .... 
63-29 
68-50 
Phosphoric  Acid 
3-21 
7-20 
Sulphuric  Acid 
2-71 
1-09 
Carbonic  Acid  . . 
none. 
none. 
Lime  .... 
5-34 
5-79 
Magnesia 
2-65 
2-70 
Peroxide  of  Iron 
1-72 
1-36 
Potash  .... 
12-69 
11-22 
Soda  .... 
2-65 
. . 
Chloride  of  Potassium 
. . 
• . 
Chloride  of  Sodium 
5-C8 
2-14 
Total  .... 
• 
99-97 
100-00 
In  order  to  supply  the  vacancies  in  the  above  series,  specimens 
of  barley  of  the  growth  of  the  present  year  (1849)  were  collected 
for  us  by  Mr.  Frederick  Eggar  during  a visit  in  Essex : — 
Specimen  No.  1.  Chevalier  Barley,  grown  by  Mr.  Nockolds,  of  Saffron  Walden,  on 
a deep  loam  soil  with  chalk  subsoil. 
Specimen  No.  2.  Chevalier  Barley,  grown  on  a chalk  soil  by  Mr.  Wilson,  of  Ickleton. 
S]>ecimen  No.  3.  Long-eared  Nottingham  Barley,  grown  on  chalk  soil,  by  Mr.  Jonas, 
of  Ickleton. 
