30 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



It is a curious fact that the starch contained in 

 parsnips exists only in the external layers of 

 the root, no starch whatever being contained 

 in the heart. The general composition of parsnips 

 in their natural state may be rej^resented as follows : 

 82"050 per cent, of water ; flesh-producing sub- 

 stances, r280 per cent.; heat and fat-forming 

 substances, 15'738 per cent.; ash, 0"932 per cept. 

 The amount of solid matter in the parsnip is 

 from 18 to 20 per cent. The composition of the 

 ash of parsnips very closely resembles that of 

 carrots. The ])roportion of ready-formed fat found 

 in parsnips is twice as much as in carrots : compared 

 with turnips, it will be seen that the amount 

 of solid matter in parsnips is about twice as much 

 as in turnips, " and, consequently, a ton of parsnips 

 ought to go as far, as a fattening material, as two 

 tons of white turnips." (Voelcker.) 



Potatoes are extremely variable in their composi- 

 tion, differing not only in the numerous varieties, 

 but the same variety grown under different cir- 

 cumstances will also give very different results 

 upon being subjected to analyzation. Practical 

 men are not agreed as to the feeding value of 

 potatoes ; and from the variation in their composi- 

 tion, it is easy to understand how such diversity of 

 opinion should exist. Of course, we can only give 

 in general terms what appears to be the average 

 composition of potatoes, indicating their value as 

 feeding materials. The proportion of water found 

 in the potato varies from 68 to as high as 80 

 per cent.; of starch, from 10 to 20 per cent.; of 

 fatty matters, from O'lO to 0"42 per cent. ; and of 

 flesh-formmg materials — which are always found 

 in the largest proportion in newly dug potatoes — 

 from 1 to 2\ per cent., 2 per cent, being about the 

 usual average. It may be remarked that it is the 

 flesh-forming constituents of the potato which 

 disease attacks, converting these into ammonia, 

 and hence the offensive smell which diseased 

 potatoes emit. The starch is left untouched, and 

 thus the diseased roots, althougli unfit to be con- 

 verted into flesh, are still valuable for the ma- 

 nufacture of starch, as we find them employed at 

 the starch mills. The proportion of sugar in the 

 potato is usually between 3 and 4 per cent. The 

 several constituents in the natural state may be 

 classified as follows : — Flesh-forming matters, 2*3 

 per cent. ; non-nitrogonous matter supporting 

 animal heat, and producing fat, 21.7 per cent.; 

 ash, 1 per cent.; water, 75 per cent. Average 

 pottaoes should, therefore, contain one-fourth of 

 solid matter, or 25 per cent. — a much larger pro- 

 portion than any of the other roots. 



Linseed. —Whether we look to the value of the 

 fibre of the flax plant as an article of immense im- 

 portance in our textile manufactures, or that of its 



seed as an oil-producing and a fattening substance, 

 we must conclude that it occupies a most important 

 place in the list of plants which come within 

 the province of the British agriculturist. From 

 the important nature of the linen manufacture 

 in Ireland, the chief object in view has been 

 the production of a fine class of fibre, an object 

 which is incompatible with the production of a 

 large crop of seed ; and hence, perhaps, we find 

 that flax cultivation has hitherto been chiefly con- 

 fined to those districts where. a ready market 

 existed for the sale of the fibre. If the value 

 of the seel as a fattening material were inculcated 

 more strongly than it has usually been by those 

 who advocate the extension of flax cultivation, 

 it is probable that flax-growing would be more 

 extensively introduced throughout the kingdom 

 than it is; and any such extension for the purpose 

 of seed-growing would soon be followed by the in- 

 troduction of machinery for the preparation of the 

 fibre, and a ready market fofit when so prepared. 



As an element in the meat manufacture, whether 

 in the building up and development of the young and 

 growing animal, or the enriching of the produce of 

 the dairy cow, or the final preparation of the 

 animal for the butcher, linseed is an article of the 

 highest importance to the agriculturist. By its aid 

 he is materially assisted in his operations, and 

 without it he is often working under a disadvantage. 

 It assists in increasing the nutritive powers of 

 other substances, and imparts to them a value 

 which they do not possess of themselves. 



Linseed contains 34 per cent, of oil, or ready 

 prepared fat; 24'44 of flesh-forming constituents; 

 30*73 per cent, of heat-producing ])rinciples; 3.33 

 of ash, being chiefly phosphates or bone materials ; 

 and 7h per cent, of water. The amount of fat and 

 flesh-producing elements in linseed is thus very 

 large, which shows its adaption for young stock as 

 well as for fattening animals. For the latter 

 description, the immense quantity of ready pre- 

 pared fat found in it at once points it out as 

 the most valuable agent in the meat manufacture 

 which we possess. 



Oil cakesare the refuse of hnseed, rapeseed, and 

 other oily seeds, after being subjected to pressure, 

 for the purpose of extracting the oil contained 

 in them. Although a considerable quantity of oil 

 is expressed, still a large proportion is left in 

 the refuse or cake. English-made linseed cakes 

 ai'e considered superior to those of foreign make, 

 which arises from the less degree of heat employed 

 in extracting the oil in the English mills, from the 

 greater care which is taken in the manufacture, 

 and from the greater amount of oil contained in it. 

 English oil-cake is al^ generally fresher than 

 foreign, a circumstance of great importance. The 



