CUTTING GRASSES. 
229 
information; . . *. . the ordinary method of estimating 
the elements of nutrition of suculent pasture is not to he 
depended upon.” And Professor Anderson, Consulting 
Chemist to the Agricultural Society of Scotland, “ deeply 
regrets that no opportunity ever presented itself to him of 
examining the subject, which is one of some importance.”' 
The only scientific attempt at elucidating the subject, with 
which we are acquainted, is that of Dr. Thompson of Glasgow. 
In his experiments on the food of animals, which were carried 
out in 1845 at the instance of the. Government, he analyzed 
perrennial rye-grass at different stages of growth, and gives 
the following table of the composition of the grass before and 
after flowering:— 
June 18. June 23. July 15. 
Water,. 76.19 81.23 69.00 
Solid matter,. 23.81 18.77 31.00 
We see little in this table to elucidate an important subject. 
We are not informed of the acreable yield of the grass at the 
different periods, nor are we presented with satisfactory infor¬ 
mation as to the nature of the “ solid matter,” further than 
that the composition of every 100 parts of the mineral matter 
of the stem and seed of the matured plant is given as follows: 
Silica,. 
Phosphoric Acid, 
Sulphuric Acid,.., 
Carbonic Acid,... 
Chlorine,. 
Magnesia,. 
Lime,.. 
Peroxide of Iron, 
Potash,. 
Soda,.. 
Stem. 
Seed. 
64.57 
43.28 
12.51 
16.89 
8.12 
3.61 
trace. 
4.01 
5.31 
6.50 
18.55 
0.36 
2.10 
8.03 
5.80 
2.17 
1.38 
This table shows that, weight for weight, the seed abstracts 
30 per cent, more phosphoric acid, and nearly three times as 
much lime, from the soil as the stem; but Dr. Thompson’s 
researches want that measure of completeness which alone 
possesses scientific value. 
Mr. Way, in 1849, analyzed a great many of the artificial 
