The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-09
Estimating the Valuable Constituents
OF Cereals.

Bymeans of a very ingenious method
first discovered by Mr.. A. A. Hayes, of
Roxbury, and DR.. Chas. L. Jackson, of
Boston, it will be found that if kernel
of corn be split longitudinally, and
immersed in an aqueous solution Of sui
phate of copper, the germ, or chit, :"
only, becomes colored green, thereby
beautifully defining the limits of the
phOsphates by the formation of phos-
phate of copper. The same process
may be applied to all seeds Except
those of an oily nature), tubers, roots,
and stems of vegetables for defining the
parts containing phOsporic acid.
If a kernel of corn be split open, as
before described, and thrown into a So
luton of sulph-hydrate of ammonia, the
''chit" will soon be changed to dark
olive color, which is due to a change of
the salts of iron in the seed to sulphur
ct of that metal; dark colored matter
forming with the ammonia turns the
vegetable coloring matter yellow, and
the two colors combined 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 dis
tinctly defired-the iodine striking an
intense blue with the starch, and deep
port wine red with the dextrine; so that,
from this test, rich violet {being 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 on
ether, the tincture 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 phos-
pilates, iron, dextrine, starch, and oil /;
and thus, by the eye alone, we may
form an approximate estimate of the
relative proportions of these ingredi-
ents.
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 ap-
propriating power of each species or
variety; for, an ear of corn having been
selected which had on it two different
kinds, namely, the Tuscarora and va
vriety of sweet corn, and these seeds
having been split and immersed in the
same copper solution, soon gave evil
dence that there was more than double
the amount of phosphates in the sweet
than there was in the Tuscarora 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 as 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 coneretions of phos.
phate of lime, like those resulting from
govt. Perhaps that stiffness Of the
Joints and lameness of the feet common
in horses fed too freely with corn may
be accounted for by this preponderanet
of'the phosphates. Young animals car
not fail to derive more osseous mattel
from corn than from other food
/ Scientific american.