124 THE BREEDING AND REARING OF HORSES 



some of the elements of plants in such abundance that any 

 additional supply seems to have no sensible effect. Potash is 

 one of these elements : phosphoric acid is not, except in very 

 rare cases indeed, such as on the " Greensand Formation," or 

 near its borders. Potash may be deficient in soils formed 

 almost entirely from, say quartzose rock or from chalk ; but it 

 can never be so, to any great extent at least, where any of the 

 numerous minerals classed under the general name of felspar 

 exist, as they do very generally in this country. If a plant like 

 the turnip, whose period of growth is brief, and range of roots 

 limited, requires ten times as much sulphur and twdce as much 

 phosphorus from an acre of land as a crop of wheat, it must 

 needs obtain such comparatively large supplies of these elements 

 of manure in available form, within range of its roots, or, if 

 not, — its large powers of transpiration continuing in operation 

 — the water which passes through its cellular tissues will 

 gradually become too poorly supplied with its essential elements 

 of food, and, even under circumstances otherwise favourable, it 

 will be more or less stunted in its growth, or at least, it will not 

 yield that abnormal weight of produce which it is the object of 

 the agriculturist to obtain. Under favourable conditions of 

 climate and cultivation, it has great powers of speedily gather- 

 ing up all its necessary mineral food that exists in a soluble 

 condition near the surface of the soil ; but such mineral food, 

 especially phosphorus, potash, and sulphur, must exist there in 

 considerable amount ; it has neither the power nor time to go to 

 any depth in search of them. An acre of land may yield to the 

 limited amount of water passing slowly through the wheat 

 plants growing upon it, 23 lbs. of phosphoric acid; but the 

 plants of a turnip crop on an equal surface, after having 

 exhausted that quantity, demand as much more, or 47 lbs. in 

 all, of the same prime requisite in the formation of every veget- 

 able substance which serves for animal nourishment, — but a 

 requisite which, though thus in general demand, no other crop 

 demands in equal quantity, and no soil affords except in very 

 limited amount. 



THE BREEDING AND REARING OF HORSES FOR THE 



FARM, ROAD, OR FIELD. 



By John W. J. Paterson, Terrona, Langholm. 



[Premium — Ten Sovereigns.'] 



Clydesdale horses, the best type of which are perfect models 

 of strength with shapes eminently calculated for endurance and 

 activity, undoubtedly are, as generally admitted, the best breed 

 for farm work ; how to breed and rear them, is therefore an im- 



