380 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



of sevei'al will eliminate a large amount of error that might arise from the dif- 

 ference in feeding quality of some animals whose digestive organs seem to be 

 exceptions to the general rule in the working up and assimilation of food. The 

 results of these experiments show that about 90 per cent of all the nitrogen 

 consumed is returned in the manure. Some have found a little more, but this 

 is about the average. Also that practically about all the potash and phosphoric 

 acid is returned. The value of these manures is Avorked up by taking the mar- 

 ket value of these substances as they would have to be purchased in commercial 

 manures. 



In the tabulated statement we have the following result in the manure from 

 one ton from each of 



Ammonia 



Potash 



Phosphate of lime 



Linseed Cake. 



116.3 



3G.4 



104.7 



Decorticated 

 Cotton Cake. 



159.1 

 G9.2 

 149. 



Barley Meal. 



38.1 

 12.1 



28.7 



The money value from one ton of food w^as respectively, §22.38, $31.46, 

 $7.26. The main point I wish to bring before your minds is this, that in feed- 

 ing these substances there was very little difference in their feeding qualities. 

 The flesh laid on with these kinds of food did not vary much, if any, in quantity, 

 or, to use the language of Dr. Voelcker, "It will make comparatively little dif- 

 ference so far as the increase in the live weight of the animal is concerned, 

 whether, in addition to a liberal supply of their ordinary bulky food, such as 

 straw and turnips, a ton of linseed cake, or a ton of decorticated or of unde- 

 corticated cotton cake, or a ton of corn be given to fattening oxen or sheep, 

 but the value of the manure resulting from the consumption of a ton of each of 

 these foods will show great differences." With the establishment of such facts 

 as these by good authority, how important that we look to the feeding of our 

 live stock in the production of manure. Other things being considered, it pays 

 the farmer to seek to feed that food that will pay the best results in the value 

 of the manure. Agriculturists are not waking up to this fact as they should. 

 Instead of using the cake of our oil mills at home, and using the cotton cake 

 where the cotton is produced, and the tide of agriculture is at its lowest ebb in 

 this country, we allow English farmers to import this to their own country (I say 

 it to our shame), pay the freight, insurance, duties, etc., and then make a profit 

 on it by feeding it to their stock, not in the greater amount of flesh laid on their 

 animals, but in the greater value of the manure which is returned to their lands. 

 It is a thing to bo learned by American farmers that the manure heap is the basis 

 of all success in farming. If he cannot get enough to satisfy the demands of his 

 lands, then resort to crops for green manuring, but in any case let us have the 

 manure, and then crops can be produced. When the crops are produced, then 

 larger amounts of live stock can be kept, and thus more manure produced for 

 future use. 



A further relation of live stock to the farm is in the rotation of crops prac- 

 ticed. I am well aware that not one-tenth of the farmers of our State have 

 any fixed rule of action in regard to their crops; that they have no regular rota- 

 tion ; they seem to work about as circumstances waft them, and thus by having 

 variableness in the amount of meadow, pasture, and grain, some are at one 



