469 
rough capillary pedicels; glumes shorter than the spikelets, purple, one to three- 
nerved ; lower palea strongly seven-nerved, rounded on the hack, surrounded 
by a short bearded tuft at the base, much longer than the ciliate-fringed upper 
one, bearing a long straigktish awn, just below the tapering two cleft tip. Pe¬ 
rennial; flowers in May. Culms 1 to 2 feet high. Wisconsin and Michigan. 
110. A vena Prascox. Linnceus. 
. v - 1 1 0 * ■,‘i i ' i 0 Ji tl01 • ’■ * ’ '-12 • - 'JI' i 
Panicle in a dense receme, oblong, the branches in pairs, appressed; spikelets 
ovate, two-flowered, flowers as long as the glumes; awn exserted; leavesceta- 
ceous, rough; sheaths deeply striate, smooth. Annual; flowers in June. 
Culms 3 to 4 inches high. Southern Indiana. Also a native of Europe. 
111. A vena Sativa. Linnceus. 
' ‘i f * -A *. CT rn 
Oats. 
»• r • f ' ( * 
,j* .. . ,•. • 1 •.q / ■ n ca 
Panicle regular; spikelets two-flowered, pendulous, pedunculate; palese shorter 
... 
than the glumes, naked at the base. Annual; flowers in July. Culms 2 to 4 
feet high. Very commonly cultivated, but only as food for horses. The native 
..A . : 1 : : A'; 
country of the oat is unknown. 
Next to the essay of Dr. Salisbury on Maize in value and importance, we 
may rank that of Prof. John P. Norton “ on the analysis of the oat,” for which 
he was awarded the premium of fifty sovereigns offered by the Highland and 
Agricultural Society of Scotland. It is published in full in Silliman’s American 
Journal of Science, (2d series,) vol. iii, pages 222 and 318. 
The following table shows the general results of his very full and accurate 
analysis: 
Composition of the ash of the oat, by Prof. J. P. Norton. 
4 . ‘ . 1 r , . 
vv,-' 
Grain. 
Husk. 
_ 
3 
O 
bn 
3 
o 
Top 
Straw. 
Middle 
Straw. 
Bottom 
Straw. 
Sulphuric acid_ _ 
9.61 
5.32 
14.80 
16.33 
18.45 
13.29 
Phosphoric acid. 
Chloride of sodium. 
49.19 
1.04 
^ i 1 
0.35 
0.24 
5.II 
2.29 
3.13 
3.03 
15.36 
Phosphates of lime, magnesia and iron.. 
...« 
.... 
5.84 
6.13 
2.84 
3 03 
0.78 
Potash and soda. 
31.56 
10.26 
7.96 
14.89 
19.09 
21.80 
43.17 
Lime.... ... 
5.32 
1.95 
4.53 
6.99 
7.02 
7.23 
6.06 
Magnesia.. 
8.69 
0.38 
1.84 
2.55 
2.84 
2.91 
2.07 
Peroxide of iron. 
0.88 
1.58 
0.24 
.... 
0.30 
1.40 
0.61 
Peroxide of manganese. 
„ _ 
0.92 
• • • • 
.... 
.... 
Soluble silica. 
0.89 
4.46 
11.90 
5.90 
5.13 
7.34 
5.03 
Insoluble silica. 
0.98 
68.39 
56.05 
45.75 
43.31 
33.14 
12.25 
97.86 
98.83 
98.90 
99.30 
99.99 
98.33 
98.35 
