The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-06
A Ready Means Of Estimating the Val.
liable Constituents Of Cereals, Etc.

by means OF very ingenious m0th-
cd, first discovered by Mr.. A. A. Hayes,
of Roxbury, and DIR. Chas. T. Jackson,
of Boston, it will be found that if a
kernel of corn be split longitudinally,
and immersed in an aqueous solution
of sulphate of copper, the germ, or
"chit," only, becomes colored green,
thereby beautifully defining the limits
of the phosphates by the formation of
phosphate of copper. The same pro-
cess may be applied to all seeds lex
cept those of an oily nature), tubers,
roots and stems of vegetables for de-
timing the parts containing phosphoric
acid.
If kernel of corn be split open, as
before described, and thrown into u So
luton of sulph-hydrate of ammonia,
the "chit'' will soon be changed to a
dark olive color, which is due to a
change of the salts of iron in the seed
to a sulphuret of that metal; dark
colored matter forming with the am
monia turns the vegetable coloring
matter yellow, and the two colors COM
bined produce an olive. Again, by
taking split specimens of corn, or other
grains, and soaking them in a tincture
of iodine, the limits of the starch and
dextrine will be distinctly defined 1.-The
iodine striking an intense blue with the
starch, and a deep port wine red with
the dcxtrine; SO that, from this test, q
rich violet (bcing the combination of
the blue and red colors) will indicate
the presence of both the starch and the
dextrine in the grain. If the oil be ex-
tracted from the transparent horny part
of the corn by means of alcohol or
ether, the tincturc of iodine will show
the presence of starch in that part of
the grain, associated with the gluten.
BY these means we may easily cause
any of our cereal grains to represent TO
us the extent and precise limits Of its
phosphates, iron, dextrinc, starch and
oil; and thus, by the eye alone, we may
form an approximate estimate of the
relative proportions of these ingredi-
cnts.
Among other curious results of some
experiments made by DIR. jackson is
the proof that the relative proportions
of the phosphates in grain depend on
the appropriating power of each spe-
cies or variety; for, an ear of corn hav-
ing been selected which had on it two
different kinds, namely, the Tuscarora
and u variety of sweet corn, and these
seeds having been split and immersed
in the same copper solution, soon gave
evidence that there was more than
double the amount of phOsphates in the
variety. Now, since the kernels came
from the same ear, and grew side by
side, they obtained unequal amounts of
phosphates from the same sap, derived
from the same soil. A crop of sweet
corn will take twice as much of the
phosphates as the other variety, and
consequently will sooner exhaust the
soil of them.
Some interesting facts were observed,
too, in the variable proportions of phos-
pilates in different varieties of the same
species of other grains. The fact that
the smaller grains, such rs wheat, oats
and barley, contain so much less than
Indian corn, would seem to explain
their peculiar properties as food for
animals; the more highly phosphate
grain being more likely to surcharge
the system of adult animals with the
elements of bony matter, producing
concretions of phosphate of lime, like
those resulting from govt. Perhaps
that stiffness of the joints and lame
ness of the feet common in horses fed
too freely with corn may be accounted
for by this preponderance of the phOs-
pilates. Young animals cannot fail to
derive more osseous natter from corn
than from other food.-Scienti6c Amer.
tcan.