MaV i,' 1903.] Supplement tb the Ti 
nutritive value. In some cooked food, on the 
otlier hand, niitdbly baked, loas-ted, find fried 
meat?, liitle water is pre.-jent as the proportion 
has been dimiufrlied by the process of Cookinp^. 
The most important of the actual nutrient? is 
protein. As stated it is most nbundaut in meat, 
tish, eg^", cheese, and dry legumes (beans, peas, 
etc.) The proportion of protein varies with the 
kind of meat and fish. In beef, veal and mutton 
it forms between 14 and 2G % of the edible 
portion. It is generally less in fish, because the 
latter is more watery than meat. The fatter the 
meat, the less is the protein. Lean pork has less 
than beef and mutton ; fat pork almost none. 
In cheese there is from 18 to 38 %, in dried beans 
from 18 to "25 %. In cereals there is from 7 to 
15 %, being most abundant in oat? ; wheat fiour 
has about 11 %, and bread about 9 %. Fresh 
vegetables and fruits contain almost none, seldom 
if ever over 5 and often only 1 % or less. F.it is 
derived as a rule from animal foods, but some 
fat also from vegetable foods. In meat it varies 
from less than 10 in some cuts of beef and 
veal to 40 % and over in a side of pork, and over 
80 % in fat salt pork. Lean fish like cod contain 
almost none, but in salmon it goes up to 10 and 
even 15 %. The chemical composite of salmon is 
indeed not unlike that of lean meat. Milk contains 
about 4 % fat ; butter is practically pure fat, 
and full milk cheese may contain fiom 25 to 40 % 
according to the richness of tiie milk or cream. 
With the exception of oatmeal, which contains 
about 7 %, there is little fat in cereals as sold, 
or in dried legumes, and it is practically 
wanting in green vegetables and most fruits. Oil 
seeds (like, olive, cotton) are of course rich in fat. 
Edlblfe nuts also contain a considerable amount. 
Carbohydrates are almost entirely absent in 
animal foods, except jnilkj but forms tlie chief 
nutrient in vegetables. They make up from 
70 to 80 %, of cereals, 60 to 70 of dry legu-ues, 
and the bulk of the nutrients of fresh vegetables 
and fruits, as of sugar, honey, etc. 
Mineral matters occur in all ordinary foods. 
Fresh meat and fish contain about 1%. and milk 
contains 7 %, In cereals the amount varies from 
'3 to over 2 %, but ia green vegetables and fruits 
it is usually less than 1 %. Dry legumes contain 
from 8 to 4 %. 
In short, meat, fish, eggs, milk, fresh vegetables 
and fruits contain most refuse and water. I'roteiu 
is most abundant in animal foods and leg'umes, 
and also in cereals. Fats occur chiefly iu animal 
food. Carbohydrates are found almost exclusively 
in vegetable products and milk. Mineral matter 
iu small proportion is found in all foods. The 
fuel value varies within wide limitSj being greatest 
in this.«e materials which contain the most fat and 
least water. 
(To be continued.) 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
The United States Consul at Uotliouburg, in a 
recent refMt to his Government, says that Ur. 
Ekenberg, of that city, has made a discovery 
which will bo ot importance to dairy furmiug. 
ncal AgrwuiturisV^ 7i)o 
lie claims to liave invented an apparatus by 
which milk can be brought into the form of 
powder, like flour in appearance, bat possessing 
all llie qualities of milk in coi'.centrated form, 
moisture excepted. It is said that this milk flour 
is completely soluble in water, and can be used 
for all purposes for which common milk is 
employed. The milk flour does not get sour, 
does not ferment, and iu the dry stale is not 
sensitive to changes in the weather. It can be 
kept and transported in tin caiis, barrels, bugs, etc. 
The cost of production is estimated at about 27 
cents per 106 quarts, and flour made from 
skimmed milk can be sold for about 13 cents per 
lb. At a recent meeting of the Academy of 
Agriculture, Dr. Ekenberg exhibited samples of 
the milk flour which received favourable com- 
ments. It is considered that the invention will 
be of the greatest importance for the utilisation 
of skimmed milk, which heretofore has largely 
been wasted, but in the dry form it can be 
transported without losing any of its original 
qualities. The product mentioned is considered 
superior to the ca.'^ein products ''proton'' and 
"proteide," now manufactured from milk by the 
aid of rennet, acid, or lye. — Natal Agricultural 
Journal, 
As an instance of the tenacity of life in 
timber trees, we quote from the same Journal, 
the reference to the Kaffir plum {Odina caffra) 
regarding which a correspondent writes : — " The 
tree was cut in the beginning of March about 
4 ft. from the ground. It was at once cleared of 
all branches, and cut in halves, each piece 
measuring 1.5 ft. in length and the diametar 2 ft. 
with very little tapering, if any. I had it taken 
outside the boundary of the forest at once. A 
trader bought it, but left it lying till September, 
when he dragged it to his house. He roughly 
squared one side of each piece, cut off 6 ft. from 
each end, and bored two holes right through for 
driving in the hinges, as he intended these 
lengths for gate posts. He eventuaJly put them 
in 3 ft. deep holes on the 2.5th September, »nd 
hung his gates on them. About three or four 
months later each of these gate posts had deve- 
loped fine strong branches all around, even on the 
squared side. For about 7 months this tree had 
been exposed to heat and cold, cut in pieces, and 
yet when only roughly put in holes, stone and 
earth stamped round, it became a lovely tree 
or, rather, two lovely trees. Out of the remain- 
ing Oft. from each piece of timbei the trader made 
the top of a table, and I have never seen any 
wood take a more beautiful polish ; the grain is 
tiue and close," Common local forests give us aa 
iustauce of a similar character;-' 
The following is a note dn Guinea grass 
{Panicum Maximum) from a report on grass 
experiments made to the Director of Agriculture) 
Natal ; — " This grew well and attained to a 
height of over 4 ftet between spring and the end 
of autumn It is an exceedingly coarse gras.^, 
and t do not think stock would care for it. It 
might be useful for hay or ensilage, but 1 fancy 
