THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



drink more, evacuate more excrement, and, in all 

 probability, spend considerably more food in 

 respiration. Whilst the 17-60 lbs. per day dry 

 matter in 20 lbs. of hay are found adequate for the 

 maintenance of a cow in a store state, the six cows 

 in milk have eaten on the average 2 1.37 lbs. solid 

 matter per day during the 271: weeks. When I 

 have fattened cattle together with a number of 

 milch cows of similar size, which gave on an ave- 

 rage 8 quarts of milk per day, the whole being fed 

 with moist steamed food, and receiving the same 

 allowance of green food, I have found the fattening 

 cattle refuse water, whilst the milk cows on the 

 average drank upwards of 40 lbs. per day of water 

 given separately. The 8 quarts of milk contain 

 only about 17.58 lbs. of water ; still in several 

 analyses of excrement I have noticed little differ- 

 ence in the percentage of moisture in that from the 

 fattening animals as compared with that from cows 

 giving milk. 



" These facts would seem to show that upwards of 

 20 lbs. more water were given off from the lungs 

 and pores of the skin of a milking than of a 

 fattening animal." 



Another branch of the inquiry of the greatest 

 practical value is the comparative real value of the 

 dung of oxen when kept on different kinds of food. 

 In elucidation of this most important inquiry, we 

 have here two experiments of Mr. Horsfall, and 

 two analyses by Mr. Way. These were made with 

 eight cattle, the experiment being commenced in 

 March, 1855. Mr. Horsfall tells us that "for the 

 first six weeks after they were tied up, their food 

 consisted of chopped straw, shells of oats, and 

 bean straw in about equal proportions; 4 lbs. of 

 rape-cake, 1 lb. bean-meal, 4 lb. linseed, and ^ lb. 

 wheat ground together, and 30 lbs. swedes per day. 

 The straw, &c., were cooked by steaming. On 

 this food two of the heifers had gained 9 lbs, each 

 in the month's weighing, the others 16 lbs. and 

 18 lbs, each per week; the average being some- 

 what more than 1 4 lbs. per week. A sample of the 

 excrement was sent on the 26th of March to Pro- 

 fessor Way for analyses. It contained : — 



Moisture 83.81 lbs. 



Organic matter ..,« 13.44 



Sand, &c .93 



Phosphate of lime 64 



Common salt .18 



Sulphate of soda and potash 95 



99.95 

 Nitrogen .51 = ammonia .62. 

 " The yield of excrement is at the rate of about 9i 



tons per year; value, 8s. 6d. per ton; or Is. 7d. 

 per week for each. 



" My store of turnips being exhausted with March, 

 an additional proportion of bean-straw, with the 

 above-mentioned allowance of rape-cake, bean- 

 meal, linseed, and wheat ground together, was sup- 

 plied till the 24th of May, when a portion of 

 meadow-grass was mixed with the straw, and by 

 degrees the straw was discontinued ; when mown 

 grass, together with the same allowance of extra 

 food, was given till the close of June, when the lot 

 were of prime qualitj', and sold for the top market 

 price. Up to the close of May their gain averaged 

 over 14 lbs. per week; during June they gained 

 something less than 14 lbs. per week. On the 

 29th of June a sample of excrement was sent to 

 Professor Way, who reported its contents : — 



Moisture 84.90 lbs. 



Organic matter , 11.94 



Sand 86 



Phosphate of lime 1.33 



Common salt .24 



Sulphate of soda and potash. ... .76 



100.00 

 Nitrogen .94 = 1.14 ammonia. 



"The yield of excrement was at the rate of 94 

 tons per year, and its value in ammonia and phos- 

 phate of lime may be computed at 15s. per ton, 

 being at the rate of 2s. lO^d. per week for each, to 

 which the sulphate of potash will be an appreciable 

 addition." 



It is impossible to assign an adequate value to 

 inquiries such as these ; they will lead to other and 

 still more minute investigations as to the chemistry 

 of food — a subject whose importance has only of 

 late years been felt by the practical farmer. Great 

 indeed, although slow, have been the advances 

 made in this way since those days of the witches 

 and the shrew-mouse to which I have referred, and 

 the present time. And if we take the experience 

 of the last two centuries as our guide, there appears 

 little chance of the advancing progress of agricul- 

 ture being stayed. The advance made only in the 

 present century, in the breeding and rearing of our 

 hve stock, indicates this. Few farmers now sur- 

 vive who remember the times of Francis Duke of 

 Bedford, and the institution in 1798 of the Smith- 

 field Club ; but we may learn from other sources 

 of information the fact that what was then deemed 

 perfection in the breed and management of our 

 live stock, would be now little regarded by the 

 present and-far-better-informed race of England's 

 agriculturists. 



THE LONDON, OR CENTRAL FARMERS' CLUB. 



THE MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES APPLICABLE TO DRAINAGE. 



THE NESBIT TESTIMONIAL. 



The conclndiDR meeting for the present year, took place at 

 the Club House, Bridge-street, Blackfriars,on Monday evening, 

 December 7. 



Mr. OwenWallis presided, supported by a very large attend- 

 ance of members, and subscribers to the Nesbit Teatiraouial. 

 Amongst others present were Messrs. R. Baker, W. Bennett 

 Joseph Pain, Rer. T, C. James, W. Bullock Webster, T. Hat- 



field, J. J.Mechi, T. E.Pawlett, J. Thomas (Bletsoe), J. Thomas 

 (Lidlington), J, B. Spearing, L. A. Coussmaker, H. Shotter, 

 J. Grove, G. Wilshir, J. Marshall, T. Chaudler, T. Congreve, 

 B. E. Ward, S, Sidney, C. Stokes, J. Tyler, W. Gray, 

 G. P. Tuxford. J. Bailey Denton, C. M. BiJwcll, J. Wood 

 (Sussex), J. Wood (Croydon), J. Brown, W. Brown. J. 

 Ploughman, W. Shaw (Cotoa), J. Smith (Rye), J, A, Yowl, 



