395 
matter, in proportion to the other ingredients, in the crop 
cut at the time of flowering. I shall give one instance : 
100 parts of the soluble matter obtained from the Dac- 
tylis glomerata, cut in flower, afforded 
of sug^i* - - - - .. - 18 parts 
of mucilage - - 67 
of coloured extract, and saline matters with 
some matter rendered insoluble by eva- 
poration - - - _ - 15 
100 parts of the soluble matter from the seed crop 
afforded 
of sugar - - 9 parts 
of mucilage - - - - ^85 
of extract, insoluble, and saline matter - 6 
100 parts of soluble matter from the after-math crop 
give 
of sugar - - - - - 11 parts 
of mucilage - - - - - 59 
of extract, insoluble, and saline matters - 30 
The greater proportion of leaves in the spring, and par- 
ticularly in the late autumnal crop, accounts for the differ- 
ence in the quantity of extract; and the inferiority of the 
comparative quantity of sugar in the summer crop, pro- 
bably depends upon the agency of light, which tends always 
in plants to convert saccharine matter into mucilage or 
starch. 
Amongst the soluble matters afforded by the different 
grasses, that of the Elymus arenarius was remarkable for 
the quantity of saccharine matter it contained, amounting 
to more than one-third of its weight. The soluble matters 
from the different species of Festuca, in general afforded 
more bitter extractive matter than those from the different 
species of Poa. The nutritive matter from the seed crop of 
the Poa compressa was almost pure mucilage. The soluble 
matter of the seed crop of Phleum pratense, or meadow 
cat’s -tail, afforded more sugar than any of the Poa or Fes- 
tuca species. 
The soluble parts of the seed crop of the ITolcus mollis 
and Holcus lanatus contained no bitter extract, and con- 
sisted entirely of mucilage and sugar. Those of the Holcus 
odoratus afforded bitter extract, and a peculiar substance 
having an acrid taste, more soluble in alcohol than in water. 
All the soluble extracts of those grasses that are most liked 
by cattle, have either a saline or subacid taste ; that of the 
