382 EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS — TURNIP CROP 1882. 



doubt about the proportion of albuminoid matter contained in 

 these turnips. It shows that turnips may form a very poor 

 diet, and that though there are turnips containing 1 per cent.v 

 of albuminoid matter, there are also some which contain only 

 three-quarters of that amount or less. There is a considerable 

 range in the proportion of albuminoid, and there is some con- 

 nection between the manuring and the amount of albumen. 

 Thus it will be seen, on comparing the soluble and insoluble 

 phosphate plots (Tables XIII. and XIV.), that the percentage 

 of albumen is less where soluble phosphates are applied. There 

 are several advantages to be gained by the use of superphos- 

 phate rather than ground phosphates, but it would seem that 

 the growing of plants rich in albumen is not one of them. We 

 have seen that they may increase the amount of the crop, and 

 that they increase the proportion of ash, but it is evident from 

 the result obtained at both stations, that they decidedly diminish 

 the proportion of albuminoid matter. This is a very unfortunate 

 result, for of all the constituents of a turnip, the albumen is the 

 most important one from a feeding point of view, and it is just 

 possible that the advantages above referred to may be bought at 

 too dear a price, if the proportion of albumen is seriously dimin- 

 ished. It will be seen that the diminution of albumen is not 

 sufficient to counteract the gain from the total increase of weight, 

 but the amount of albuminoid matter produced per acre on the 

 dissolved phosphate plots is not by any means so great as we 

 should expect from the gross gain in the weight of the crop. 

 This is a matter which cannot be definitely determined by ana- 

 lysis, but it is an important one, and it deserves to be tested by 

 actual feeding experiments. 



From the data now before us, we are able to calculate the 

 remaining portion of turnip matter. It consists of carbo- 

 hydrates and oil, and these make up the great bulk of the solid 

 matter of turnips. About three-quarters of the solid matter 

 consist of these constituents, but the latter is there in very small 

 amount, so small as to make it unnecessary to estimate it 

 separately unless for special purposes. 



In the following table (XV.) the oil is included with the car- 

 bohydrates, and the ratio between the albumen and carbohydrates 

 is given, the albumen being considered as 1 per cent. The 

 average ratio may be taken as 1 : 10, that is, one of albumen to ten 

 of carbohydrates, &c., contained in the dry matter of the turnip. 

 One to ten is a wide ratio, and indicates a poor feeding material. 

 It will be seen, however, that there is a considerable range in 

 these ratios, and that a closer ratio, such as 1 : 8-5 is not uncommon. 

 The closer the ratio the better the feeding quality, and it is 

 evident that the turnips grown on some of these plots would 

 have formed a more nutritious diet than those grown upon 



