THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



391 



kinds, potash, salts, &c., used in the manufacture of 

 manures, we have the following- general statement : — 



Guano £2,500,000 



Bone-dust 240,000 



Superphosphates (bones) 770,000 



„ (coprolitcs) .. 300,000 



Nitrate of soda 195,000 



Sulphate of ammonia 90,000 



Other substances 50,000 



£4,205,000 

 The prices taken bj' Professor Anderson for his cal- 

 culation are somewhat above the current prices quoted 

 in our columns now; but no doubt they were average 

 prices cliarged in Scotland when he wrote. We agree 

 in the opinion that this estimate, so far from exaggerat- 

 ing the sums paid for artificial manures, falls con- 

 siderably short of the truth. A sum of .€4,500,000 

 may fairly be set down as the annual amount paid by 

 the fanners now for artificial manures. Without any 

 wish to be hypercritical, our desire has been to arrive 

 at as close and accurate an estimate as possible on this 

 most important subject, both in a financial and pro- 

 gressive point of view. It is one to which we have fre- 

 quently drawn attention, and we are glad to find others 

 also in the field of inquiry. "It would be very in- 

 teresting also, were it possible," observes Prof. Ander- 

 son, " to ascertain what relation this large sum bears 

 to the value of the farm-yard manure annually con- 

 sumed throughout the country ; but on this point it is 

 not easy to obtain any reliable information." A vague 

 estimate may perhaps be obtained from the number of 

 acres of land under cultivation. It is said that the 

 land under tillage in the British Islands exceeds 

 24,000,000 acres, and, though this is probably above 



the mark, it may bo adopted without much error. If 

 it be assumed that one-fourth of this is annually 

 manured to the extent of ten tons per acre with 

 farm-yard manure, the annual consumption must be 

 60,000,000 tons, worth about £20,000,000. It i 

 probable that this estimate is too high ; but it shows 

 that at least one-fifth of all the manure now used is 

 artificial, and chiefly derived from foreign sources. 

 The introduction of these now and important elements 

 of fertility has not only altered the whole system of 

 cultivation, but has placed the farmer in an entirely 

 new position. We cannot now follow Prof. Anderson 

 through the chemical part of his subject ''on the reading 

 of analyses." Wo deplore, in common with him, the 

 numerous difierences which are to be found in the 

 mode of stating the results of their experiments, used 

 by difierent chemists, and consider it most desirable 

 that some general and uniform system should bo 

 adopted. We cannot forbeai" quoting the concluding 

 passage of the article, which states that the purchaser 

 of manures requires to have all his wits about him, 

 in order to secure a really good and genuine article, 

 and to avoid loss. " The facts already stated regarding 

 the large consumption of artificial manures, will show 

 how much scope there must be for the sale of inferior 

 and adulterated substances; and if we suppose the 

 extent of adulteration not to exceed ten per cent.— 

 which is probably a low estimate — the loss to the 

 farmer must amount to £400,000, independently of 

 that incurred from failure of the crops on which these 

 manures are used, and the expenses of carriage and 

 application — a loss which might be completely guarded 

 against by care, and by an outlay amounting to only a 

 small fraction per cent, on the value of the manure." 



THE SUPPLY OF BRITISH AND FOREIGN HORSES. 



"A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse !" is 

 still the cry in many localities, and horseflesh is look- 

 ing up in our colonies. The demand keeps brisk, 

 whether for following the hounds, mounting the heavy 

 cavalry, dragging the lumboiing " bus" (which never 

 seems to improve), filling the cab-ranks, drawing 

 the brewer's dray, or the more fashionable equipage. 

 Although our progress in horse-breeding is not 

 very rapid, it is well occasionally to take stock 

 of our horse kind, and to glance at what other 

 nations are doing at the same time. We pride 

 ourselves, and not without reason, upon turning out 

 some very fine stock ; and our race-courses, Tattersalls, 

 and the drive in Hyde Park, still give evidence of our 

 progress. 



The number of horses in Scotland according to the 

 census ol 1857 was 185,409, and these were classed as 

 follows :— horses for agricultural purposes above three 

 years old 126,471, under three years old 34,947; all 

 other horses 23,991. The number in Ireland in 1857 

 was 600,693, of which 16,606 were horses used for 

 agricultural purposes, 3,460 for traflic and manufaC' 



tures; 2,469 for amusement and recreation; 1,779 were 

 yearlings, and 3,965 under one year old. The value 

 per head taken by the census commissioners of 1841, 

 namely, 8/., gives an aggregate for Ireland of 4,805, 544?. 

 for horses. For England and Wales we have no spe- 

 cific returns, and can only proceed by estimate. In 

 1854 it was calculated that there were in England 

 and Wales 1,050,931 horses and 258,079 colts. Tlie 

 estimate we made a year or two ago, that there 

 were about two millions and a quarter horses in the 

 kingdom, is therefore very near the mark. In 1851 

 the number of horses charged or exempt was as fol- 

 lows : Riding-horses, &c., 135,401 ; horses let on hire, 

 1,807; race-horses, 1,385; riding-horses. Sec, under 

 13 hands high, 21,934 ; bailiffs,' butchers', and other 

 horses charged at modified rates, 4,281 ; other horses 

 and mules charged, 145,246. Total, 410,054, 



Last year the numbers assessed in Great Britain 

 were : Riding-horses, &c., 288,760, of which 264,286 

 were in England and Wales ; race-horses, 1,499. The 

 duty on race-horses was transferred to the excise de- 

 partment in 1857. Horses and mules kept for trade, 



