Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-03-13
Agricultural.
Nutritious in Various Grains.

WHEAT is one of the most important of
all crops. The grain contains from fifty to
seyenty-iye per cent. of starch, from ten to
twenty per cent. of gluten, and from three
to five per cent. of fatty matter. The pro-
portion Of gluten is said to be the largest
in the grain of quite warm climates.
1t is IA singular fact, that, in all the seed
of wheat and other grains, the principle
part Of the oil lies near or in the skin, as
also does a large portion of the gluten
The bran owes to this much Of its nutritive
and fattening qualities. Thus in refining
our -four to the utmost possible extent, we
diminish somewhat Of its value for food
The p~hosphates of the ash also lie to a
great degree in the skin. The best fine
-four contains about seventy pounds of
starch to eech hundred. The residue of
one hundred pounds consists Of ten or
twelve pounds of gluten, six to eight pounds
of sugar and gum, and from ten to fourteen
pounds water, and a little oil.
RYE flour more nearly resembles wheat
flour in Its composition than any other it
has, however, more of certain gummy and
sugary substances, which make it tenacious
and also impart a swedish taste. In baking
all grains and roots which have much
starch in them, a certain change takes
place in their chemical compositions. BY
baking, flour becomes more nutritious,
more easily digestible because more solu-
Bile.
BARLEY contains less starch than wheat
also less sugar and gum. There is little
gluten, but a substance somewhat like it,
and containing about the same amount OF
nitrogen.
OATS. Oatmeal is little used as food in
this country, but ii is equal, if not superb
or, in its nutritious qualities, to -four from
any of the other grains superior, | have
no doubt, to most of the fine wheaton -four
of northern attitudes. 1t contains from
ten to eighteen per cent. Of a body having
about the same amount OF nitrogen or glu-
ten. Besides this, there is a considerable
quantity of sugar and gum, and from five
to six per cent. of oil or fatty matter, which
may be obtained in the form of a clear,
fragrant liquid. Oatmeal cakes owe their
peculiar agreeable taste and smell to this
oil. Oatmeal, then, has not only an album
dance Of substance containing nitrogen, but
is also quite fattening. 1t is, in short, an
excellent food for working animals, and, as
has been abundantly proved in Scotland,
for working men also.
BUCKwHEAT is less nutricious than the
other grains which we have mentioned. Its
flour has from six to ten per cent of nitro
genious compounds, about fifty per cent. of
starch, and from five to eight of sugar and
gum. In speaking of buckwheat or of
oats, we of course mean without husks.
RICE was formerly supposed to contain
little nitrogen but recent examinations
have shown that there is a considerable
portion, some six or eight per cent, of a
substance like gluten. The per centage of
fatty matter and Of sugar is quite small, but
that Of starch much larger than in any
grain yet mentioned, being between eighty
and ninety per cent, usually about eighty
two.
INDIAN Corn contains about sixty per
cent. of starch nearly the same as OATS
The proportion of oil and gum is large
about ten per cent. this explains the fat
tening properties of Indian meal, SO well
known to practical men, There is besides
these a good portion of sugar. The nitro
g%enious substances are also considerable 10
quantity, some twelve to sixteen per cent.
All these statements are from the prize es-
say of Mr., j.. II. Salisbury, published by