THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



were paid for them in ready money, which of course 

 gave a stimulus to agricultural aud pastoral pursuits 

 throughout the whole colony ; and there was also paid 

 to the farmers i?38,000 for forage for the horses thus 

 supplied. 



Another great fact worth notice is, that whilst from 

 Australia to India the casualties to horses on shipboard 

 have averaged not less than 40 per cent., and from 

 South America GO per cent., the casualties on horses 

 sent from the Cape have not hitherto exceeded four per 

 cent. 



There is one experience which the Cajie farmers have 

 learnt by the terrible mortality from .successive epi- 

 demics in horses, cattle, and recently in sheep ; that is, 

 that something more is required for permanent health 

 and strength than the rude cookery of nature. In the 

 Cape colony, for obvious reasons, most animals, in- 

 cluding horses, have been left to what they could 

 pick up of natural grasses in the field. These are very 

 abundant, and very nutritious for a large portion of 

 the year; but to build up a hardy and strong animal, 

 some care must be bestowed upon his fond. It has 

 been well said, that "the value of a horse goes 

 down his throat:" that is, his bone and muscle, his 

 powers of endurance, spirit, and temper, represent the 

 quantity of his food, and the air he has breathed, and 

 even the food of his mother while nursing him. 



We have, on previous occasions, recommended the 



introduction from time to time of new breeds and new 

 animals into our colonies ; we are therefore glad to see 

 the Capo farmers are thinking of exchanging benefits. 

 It is suggested that the next time a ship starts from 

 Table Bay freighted with horses, she should bring back 

 a cargo of Mysore draught oxen. It would not be a 

 bad thing to put a little more activity before the wag- 

 gon wheels. The bullock waggon is the chief mode of 

 conveyance for families moving, and merchandize, ac- 

 compli.=:hing 20 miles a day. It is in part a travelling 

 hotel, carrying beds, provisions, and cooking utensils, 

 rendering you quite independent of any accommodation 

 on the road. If by the introduction of a certain amount 

 of more sprightly bovine blood into their teams the 

 traveller and the " trekster" in Southern Africa could 

 manage a mile an hour more than they do now, it 

 wi/uld be a great blessing. The Mysore ox would very 

 likely suit the best for the Cape, inasmuch as its native 

 table-land is lifted up into a more proximate tempera- 

 ture than is the general level of India. It is not much 

 less in size than the general run of African oxen: it is 

 deep in the chest, roomy in barrel, fine in the legs, 

 straight- horned, and sleek of coat. The prevailing 

 colour here is a light cream colour. It is the carriage 

 ox — the Arab among bullocks, and will travel six miles 

 an hour. An interchange of this kind may do good, 

 especially in a colony where oxen are the chief beasts 

 of draught. 



NFLUENCE OF NITROGEN ON CROPS. 



MILBORNE ST. ANDREW FARMERS CLUB. 



A meeting of this club was held at Milborne St. 

 Andrew on Wednesday evening, the 20th of Octo- 

 ber last, to discuss the subject of "The influence 

 of Nitrogen and its compounds on Vegetation," 

 introduced by Mr. W, C. Spooner, the eminent 

 Agricultural Chemist, of EHng, near Southampton. 

 There was a goodly attendance of members. 



Mr. W. C. Spooner said: Mr, Chairman, and 

 gentlemen, the subject on which I have to address 

 you is, I believe, as your Chairman has said, 

 " The influence of Nitrogen on Vegetation." Now, 

 it is very desirable, speaking of the subject of 

 manures, to have some little separalion of topics ; 

 because the importance and influence of the phos- 

 phates, and a few others, are now felt to be so 

 great, that the moment you begin speaking of 

 manures, you are sure to talk about [)hosphates 

 and supcrphospliates; and the chances are, that 

 being considered still more important in a fli«triot 

 like this, the subject naturally brandies oflF in that 

 direction, leaving little opportunity for dii-cussing 

 on that occasion the i)roper subject of the evening. 



With regard to nitrogen, when I had the pleasure 

 of introducing the subject to you before, you will 

 no doubt recollect that I then showed you what 

 were the various gases that composed animal and 

 vej;etable bodies, or, in other words, of which they 

 were built up ; it will, therefore, be unnecessary to 

 do so on the present occasion, from your being 

 aware of these components, and not having forgot- 

 ten the observations which were then made on the 

 subject. In short, I shall speak chiefly of nitro. 

 gen, and shall say but little of the three othe^ 

 organic bodies that enter into the structure of the 

 earth, and tlie animals and vegetation existing ou 

 the earth. Nitrogen exists in the atmosphere tg 

 the extent of four-fifths of its entire bulk. It is a 

 body of but iittle activity, and serves principally 

 the jjurpose of diluting the oxygen of the air to 

 some considerable extent. You all know that 

 when a candle is burned imder a close glass the 

 light soon goes out. Water ascends and con- 

 denses on a portion of the glass, as part of the 

 (.on'lned air is burned, and the remaining part 



