THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



381 



might be represeuted as the Daiiiades, who were doomed tu 

 collect water iu buckets full of holes. 



The real question is this : Do animals retaiu all the iiutri- 

 meut coataiued in a certaiu amouut of food, which it is possi- 

 ble they cau be enabled to retaiu ? or is it not true, that out 

 of a certain quantity of food given, a large portion neither 

 shows itself as flesh nor manure, but is lost as gas? This 

 matter has never been properly attended to, and the " agricul- 

 tural mind" has been so busy with improving the breeds 

 of cattle, that it has not had time to see after the best mode 

 of feeding them. 



No doubt there are now greatly improved specimens of 

 stock, which will feed in shorter time and with less expense 

 than could formerly be done; but this is, after all, compara- 

 tively a small improvement, for they still absolutely waste and 

 dissipate a large proportion of the dry weight of all their food ; 

 and the chief variation from ordinary stock will probably be 

 found to consist in those which are the most rapid feeders, 

 having proportionally the smallestlungs, consequently inhaling 

 a smaller quantity of oxygen, to rob them of the carbon they 

 have eaten. They are, practically, owing to the small size of 

 their lungs, even without restraining their exercise, (in which 

 they would not be disposed to exceed), placed about on a par 

 with the larger-lunged cattle when " tied up" and restrained 

 from taking exercise, or, to 'speak more to the point, when 

 prevented from inhaling so much oxygen as they otherwise 

 would. 



Such cattle are, however, in a low state of vitality, and very 

 subject to disease, and even sudden death ; for, not having in 

 their composition that which would retaiu, by aliinity, a good, 

 firm hold on the mass of carbonaceous matter which they have 

 accumulated, merely because of the smallness of their lungs, 

 and their substance being as it were deposited, or, at most, 

 held together by very slight affinity, they are liable to sudden 

 decompoaitiouB, which totally disorganize their whole animal 

 economy. 



To sum up this portion of the subject ; it is found that 

 vegetation, which ia some form is the food of cattle, has grown 

 to the state in which it is generally used, by fixing gases from 



the air, and by absorbing water (for the present omitting the 

 salts, &c.) It is, therefore, composed of water, and f/ases which 

 have been, and may uijain become volatile. When vegetables 

 are taken into the animal system, they are decomposed ; the 

 water runs off; m\d unless tlierelbe something present in the 

 body, to absorb andjix the gases, they are volatilized, and fly 

 away, leaving no increase. It has been stated that the dry 

 weight of food given is not equalled by the dry weight of 

 flesh gained and manure made, and it is thus proved that a 

 large portion does Jly away. 



Yet no pains are usually taken to absorb and fix this gas, 

 whicli is naturally only fixed in a small degree ; because it ia 

 the custom for persons to think they do well if they do as well 

 as others, and the feeders of stock are not exempt from this 

 feeling; they do not like to "force" animals, because it is 

 "against nature," &c., when the truth is, that, to produce 

 further development, it must be produced on exactly the same 

 plan that nature does — consequently be more in accordance 

 with the laws of nature than the wasteful method now in use. 

 In short, it is helping nature. 



Where is science ? Where are the chemists ? The latter 

 pronounce carbon to be the great constituent both of vegeta- 

 tion and of fat, yet stand aloof whilst pounds of the former 

 are used to produce ounces of the latter. What would be 

 said, and done too, if the coinage was conducted on similar 

 principles, and that a pound of gold only produced an ounce 

 of gold coin ? Is it not probable there would be some investi- 

 gation of the fumes which ascended the chimney of the fur- 

 nace, and, if it proved that the precious metal was thus car- 

 ried off, that some endeavour would be made 'to condense 

 those fumes and recover the gold ? 



In a future article the means of preventing this extravagant 

 waste will be pointed out ; but as it is most desirable to make 

 good the ground already gone over, a week or two will be 

 allowed to elapse, that any objections which may be offered or 

 errors pointed out jn the principles, so far as at present stated, 

 may be considered, and either refuted or amended. 



George H. Bolton, 

 Warrrington. Agricultural Chemist, 



THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE AND BEDFORDSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



The Northamptonshire Agricultural Society, like 

 that of the adjoining county of Bedford, now becom- 

 ingly represents a district famous for a spirited race of 

 farmers. Either of these associations must trace its 

 success to the plan of uniting the forces of the whole 

 Shire in one general body. A very short experience has 

 been sufficient to show how preferable this is to any sub- 

 division of North and South, or yet more limited and 

 local operation, Northamptonshire has never yet 

 known so good a meeting as that just held at Tow- 

 cester ; and this we believe is the first year of 

 the thorough amalgamation of the North and South. 

 The original institution itself goes back to a very 

 classic era in the history of British agriculture. It 

 was founded by Lord Spencer, the leading man of his 

 day in all matters relating to rural affairs, and for a 

 considerable period, was kept well to its proper use 

 and purpose. The battle of protection, however, split 

 up the people into parties ; and a second association was 

 speedily established. The two have tried iiaid for some 



time to live each other out; but, fortunately for either, 

 the cause for any continued hostility has been the first to 

 die away, and the two sides have now joined hands 

 again over their one common object — the encouragement 

 and improvement of the agriculture of the county. 



We repeat that such a union could not have been 

 cemented under more encouraging auspices. The 

 meeting had not only the thorough support of the 

 farmers, but was equally well backed by the township 

 in which it was held. In fact, the arrangements of 

 the local committee, with Mr. II. P. Jones at their 

 head, were such as may well afford an example for 

 other places the society will take in its circuit. Tow- 

 cester offered not only a hearty welcome and a good 

 site, but with it a scries of premiums from its own 

 funds, as liberal in amount as judicious in application. 

 The business of the occasion lacked indeed no incen- 

 tive of this kind. There were prizes for ploughing— 

 with classes for farmers' sons or pupils — for men in 

 the employment of members— for ploughboys— and an 



