Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-02-08
AGRICU 1T U r A l..
--------- ----a--s 1890
Nutrition IN Various Grains.

NulTlSlOu III vdTlVuS vi dIuSs
Wheat is one of the most important
crops. The grain contains from fifty 10
seventy per cent. Of starch, from ten to
twenty per cent, gluten, and from three
to five per cent. of fatty matter. The
proportion Of gluten is said to be the
largest in the grain Of quite warm coun.
tries.
Itis q singular fact, that, in all the
seed of wheat and other grains, the prin.
cipal part Of tho oil lies near or in the
skin, as also docs large portion Of the
gluten. The bran owes to this much oil
its nu,ritive and fattening qualities. -
Thus in refining our flour 10 the utmost
possible extent, we diminish somewhat
its value for food. The phosphates ol
the ash also lie to great degree in the
skin. The best fine flour contains about
seventy pounds Of starch to each hun
drel. The residue Of one hundred
pounds consists of ten or twelve pounds
Of gluten, six to eight pounds of sugar
and gum, and ten 10 fourteen pounds oI
water and little oil.
Rye flour more nearly resembles
wheaten flour in its composition than
any other; it has, however, more of Ger.
tain gunmy and sugary substances,
which make it tenacious, and also i'm.
part sweetlsh taste. In baking all
grains and roots which have much starch
in them, certain change takes place in
their chemical composition. By baking,
-four becomes more nutritious, and more
easily digcstible, because more soluble.
Barley contains rather 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.
Oatmeal is little used as food in this
country, but it is equal, if not superior
III its nutritious qualities, to flour from
any of,he other grains; superior, have
no doubt, to most of the fine wheaton
flour Of the northern attitudes. 1t con.
tains from ten to eighteen per cent. Of a
body having about the same amount Of
nitrogen as gluten. Besides this, there
is considerable quantity of gum, and
from five to six per cent. Of oil or fatty
matter, which may be obtained in the
form of clear, fragrant liquid. Oat.
meal, then, has not only abundance Of
substance containing nitrogen, but it is
also quite fat tening. 1t is, in short, an
excellent food for working animals, and :,
as has been abundantly proved in Scot.
land, for working men also.
Buckwheat is less nutritious than the
other grains which We have noticed. Its
flour has from six to ten per cent. of nj.
trogenous compounds, about fifty per
cent. of starch. and from FIVE to eight Of
sugar and gum. In speaking Of buck.
wheat or of oats, we of course mean
without husks.
Rice was formerly supposed to con.
tain little nitrogen; but recent examina.
tions have shown that there is con.
siderable portion, some six or eight per
cent, Of a substance like gluten. The
per centage Of fatty matter and ofsugar,
is quite small, but that Of starch much
larger than any grain yet mentioned,
being between eighty and ninety per Ct,
usually about eighty.two. 1858
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
fatening properties Of Indian meal, so
we'll known to practical men. There is,
besides these, good portion Of sugar.
The nitrogenous substances are also con.
siderable in quantity, some twelve to
sixteen per cent. a3 - jit,o2
Sweet corn differs from all other var.
ieties, containing only about eighteen
per cent. Of starch. The amount OF su.
gar is, Of course, very large, and the nj.
trogenous substance amounts to the very
large proportion Of twenty per cent. Of
gum to thirteen or fourteen; and Of oil,
to about eleven. This, from the above
results, is one Of the most noufishing
crops grown. II it can be made to yield
as much per acre al stths harder varieties,
It is we'll worth atrial on alarge scale.
1i16i eej PROF. NORTON,