The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-10-31

''N-~' u
~ agricultural Society, Oct. Is, 1909
Iuo letters from, Mr.. Robert Hare inn of Ph;ka.
delPia, spere presented to ne Society, BIZ oue
Of the 'nenr6ers, and read, in tie foilosviny
Spordss %
"April %, 1909
have discovered, with regret, that rice can.
not be converted into substance analogous to
matt This appears to result from a radical de-
fect IN the mods of termination To explain this
must cite those chymical phenomena. ON
winch the conversion of barley into malt de.
ponds.
The farina of barley, as of all othervepetable
mhtiers' IS composed OF hydrogen, oxygen, and
carbon; but contains not enough of the two frs,
to permit an approach to sugar In mailing, bar
ley absorbs and decomposes much water, and
thus obtains such supply of hydrogen and ,xv
gen, as is requisite to assimilate it more nearly
to sugar, III sweetness and solubility. Mali
does not, indeed, contain particle of sugar. but
has the same relation to it that one ye,re}abIe !.
cid has to another.
Rice, on the contrary, absorbs but very little
water, and decomposes less and after tbe
process OF termination 10 carried as far as in
barley, does not yield any sweet or soluble mai.
ter
1t is probable that no larger portion of wafer
Is decomPosed by rice than is necessary to sim.
pie termination in all grains, and is attended h,
a liberation OF one ofthe constituent elements q,
water: the presence of which in an uncombined
state, is demonstrated by heterogeneous effuv;,
The principal decomposition of water bv barIe,
takes place IN subsequent stage of gernination'
and is not attended by any liberation of hydrore,
Tor the grain becomes fragrant rather than often.
sive.
With this portion of water, subsequently, de.
composed, barley becomes turgid in forty-eiyht
hours after 1t is stepped in this fluid Rice
does not soften or swell in three davs nor
IN any following period, except in small de-
gree.
After being swollen and softened, by immersi.
on IN the steep, during the aforementioned
ume, barley Will, in three days, display its roofs.
<ice did not exhibit the same marks Of vegetation
in less than eight
In barley, the germ and radicle start i'm onno
site directions the latter externally, the former
internally sirils the back of the grain to the on.
pos'te extremity. In rice, the germ and radicIe
both start externally.
In barley, the progress of the germ is attend.
ed by decomposition of the water previousl,
absorbed and the approach of the germ I, the
opposite extremity evInces the completion of the
process La rice, no similar change takes place
Inc latter, when dried, ground, and infused in
hot-wnter, afiords an unsayory fluid, very slightly
partakmg OF the substance of the grain the for.
n'er 'eids rich, sweet infusion, saturated with
soluble matter.
y
on snail scale, but it was conclusive. The
whole, however, having been subjected to the
process OF mating, fearis no longer fit for suy
thing, Unless it should furnish material for IN.
dlstlller This shall be tried, il agreeable TO
the wishes of the gentlemen conce ned. Its
lrsoius'iity is no Objection in tbs respect.
TOR potatoes and other ins0luble matters have
produced spirit, when subjected to fermenta.
ton
regret that an experiment so liberal on the
part OF the gentlemen of South. arolina should
nave tailed so completely in the very outset If
the season bad been less advanced, would have
made preliminary trials 10 discover the best pro-
cess with material so novel out had ITO sis,;.
ci0i' OF lAiliIre on the ground from whence il or
is'nated had always understood thtt wheat
and rye would malt and therefore, concluded
that the decomposition Of water which Knew +,
take place ia barley, WAS common 10 all other
ga&a aud particularly to rice, tia farina of which
rese mldss that OF barley, both in appearance a.id
taste"
PHfLADELpHTA, Aug. 7, 1909.
Itgaye me pleasure TO learn by your letter Of
tue %Olh June, that my experiment on Rice
trough unsuccessful, mad been satisfactory 10
those VINO ss libcrslIy supplied the material
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