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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



to their intrinsic value. The following analysis of an inferior 

 artificial manure, sold at an exorbitant price, may serve as an 

 illustration of some six or eight other cases of a similar kind 

 brought under my notice during the past season. The manure 

 to which I refer was sent to me by Mr. John Ellis, land agent, 

 Arlington, Guildford, who bought it as Potter's guano. 

 C'omposilion of sample of Poller's Guano sent by Mr, John 

 Ellis, Guildford, 

 Water 30.73 



* Organic matter .. .. .. .. .. 9.68 



Phosphate of lime and oxide of iron and alumina 15.62 

 Chloride of sodium (common salt) .. ,. 11.70 



Sulphate of magnesia .. .. .. .. 1.99 



Sulphate of lime (gypsum) .. .. .. 19 72 



Carbonate of lime .. ., .. .. 5.38 



Saud .. 5.18 



100 00 



* Containing nitrogen .. .. ,. .. .18 

 Equal to ammonia .. .. .. ., .21 



It will be noticed that nearly one-third part of this so called 

 guano is water, that another third part is gypsum, chalk, 

 sand, aiid other useless matter, and the remainder contains a 

 large proportion of common saU. The intrinsic value of this 

 British guano is scarcely £1 lOs., whilst it was sold at £7 per 

 ton. It is not surprising thit such a manure should have had 

 little or no effect upon the turnip crop to which it was ap- 

 plied. Several kinds of sewage manures have been sent for 

 analysis; but though sold at a low price they were without 

 exception dear manures, considering the small amount of 

 valuable fertilizing matter which they contained. Good super- 

 phosphates may now be obtained in almost every market 

 at very reasonable prices. Inferior samples, however, are as 

 abundant as good ones. I would remind the members of the 

 Society that the appearance, smell, and other physical chaiac- 

 ters of a superphosphate offer little or no indication of its 

 quality, and that the practical and commercial value of this 

 and similar artificial manures can be accurately and expedi- 

 tiously ascertained by analysis, I have also examined two ex- 

 cellent samples of Norwegian fish guano, a manure which is 

 likely to be very useful to British agriculturists, provided it 

 can be imported at a price proportionate to its intrinsic value. 

 Whilst spesking of prepared manures I may mention that 

 several complaints have been made respecting manures into 

 the composition of which gas-refuse largely enters. I have 

 as yet not been able to ascertain whether the clay and other 

 materials used for purifying coal-gas contained, as is alleged, 

 compounds injurious to vegetation. This subject is one of 

 considerable practical importance, and deserves to be carefully 

 investigated. In the meantime I shall feel indebted to any 

 gentlemgn who may have used gas-clay or other gas-refuse 

 manures, by favouring me with the result of his experience. 

 With respect to feeding materials I have to report that good 

 linseed cakes unfortunately are getting very rare. At least 

 three-quarters of all the linseed cakes examined by me during 

 the past season were either grossly adulterated, or were cakes 

 of quite inferior quality. The practice of recrushing oilcakes, 

 and mixiug the powder with a certain amount of bran before 

 replacing it into the presses, appears to be gaining ground. 

 Good decorticated cotton cake has become much dearer, and 

 is bought up as soon as it arrives in this country, and is con- 

 sequently rather difKcnlt to obtain of first-rate quality. One 

 of the most useful oilcakes is green German rape cake. Seve- 

 ral excellent samples were sent for analysis, and also some 

 samples of common and of Indian rape cake. The examina- 

 tion of these cakes has strengthened my conviction, that 

 whilst green German rape cake may be used with perfect 

 gafety, it is dangerous to give to cattle other kinds of rape 

 cake, inasmuch as they frequently contain mustard in pro- 

 portions injurious to animals. Recently attention has been 

 directed to the probable importations of Egyptian dates in 

 years of plenty. I bave, therefore, carefully ascertained the 

 composition of Fgyptian dates, and published the analysis in 

 the Agricullural Gazelle. Another novel feeding material is 

 compressed jeast. I have an analysis of this substance, which 

 is now produced in large quantities in England, and find in it 

 a considerable quantity of nitrogenized matters and of phos- 

 phates. Compressed yeast has been used for manuring pur<- 

 poses, but I was not aware until lately that it may be em- 

 ployed for feeding purposes. Two gentlemen, who are in the 



habit of giving compressed yeast mixed with chaff or hay to 

 milch cows and to fattening beasts, inform me that they 

 think highly of the feeding properties of dried yeast. I shall 

 endeavour to gather further information on this subject, and 

 hope at a future occasion to communicate the results of my 

 inquiries to the Society. Five or six alleged poisoning 

 cases have been referred to me ; but on examining the con- 

 tents of the stomachs of the animals supposed to have been 

 poisoned, I was unable to find any poisonous substance. In 

 one instance I found the stomach of a pig, which was believed 

 to have died from the effects of poison, greatly distended, and 

 completely filled with the pod* of broad beans, and some other 

 vegetable refuse, and have no doubt that this mass of indiges- 

 tible matter caused the death of the pig. Ic is a well-ascer- 

 tained fact that food containing a large excess of indiges- 

 tible vegetable fibre, when given to cattle or pigs too abun- 

 dantly, seriously interferes, with their well-beini^, and even 

 may cause death. It is for this reason that ordinary cotton 

 cake m&lt from seed, from which the hard husks have not 

 been removed, should be administered with caution. As the 

 examination of stosEachs for poison is a troublesome and tirae- 

 consumiug process, I m^y be allowed to suggest to members 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society to call in the assistance of 

 the Veterinary Inspector, Professor Simonds, and to request 

 him to ascertain whether there is sufficient evidence of poison 

 having been administered to warrant the expense of a chemi- 

 cal investigation. Under the head of chemical investigations 

 I may mention the titles of three contributions to the last 

 number of the Jourual. 



1. Oa the Composition of two varieties of Kohl Rabi and 

 Cattle Cabbage. 



2. Oa the chemical pr.ipertiea of soils. 



3. On the composition and nutritive properties of Mangel- 

 pulp. 



Also the heads of two papers, which will appear in the forth- 

 coming volume of the Jourual. 



4. On the composition of the Yellow Lupine and the toil 

 adapted to its cultivation. 



5. On Norwegian Apatite, Spanish phosphorite, coprolites, 

 rock guano, and other phosphatic materials at present used in 

 England for manuring purposes. 



In addition to (he investigations the results of which are 

 incorporated in these papers, I have carried out field «experi- 

 ments on Wheat, Barley, and Turnips. The results obtained 

 v/ill form the subject of future contributions to the Journal. 



A special grant having been made by the Council for carry- 

 ing out certain dairy investigations, I have at once taken up 

 the subject, and beg to lay before the Chemical Committee a 

 brief summary of my investigation : — 



1. I have completed a large number of analyses of different 

 kinds of cheese. These analyses have brought to light several 

 interesting particulars, on which I shall report in due time. 



2. Many analyses of milk and whey have been made during 

 the past six mouths. 



3. I have spent 14 days in visiting eight dairies in Wilts, 

 Gloucestershire, and Staffordshire. 



4. With the assistance of several intelligent practical men I 

 have carried out dairy experiments on a large scale. 



a. One series of experiments was undertaken with a view 

 of ascertaining the exact amount of loss in caiein and 

 butter whicn is alleged to occur when milk is made 

 into cheese. 

 li. Another series of experiments had for its objects to 

 determine the advantages of different plans of convert- 

 ing milk into marketable produce. 

 I. The whole milk of a large dairy was made into cheese. 

 II. Morning and evening milk was skimmed, and then 

 made into skimmed-milk cheese, and the whole of 

 the cream made into butter. 



III. The evening milk was skimmed and added to the new 



milk of next morning, and then made into cheese. 



IV. The cream of the evening milk was added to the new 



milk of next morning, and made into extra rich 



cheese. 

 These experiments were repeated, and eight large Cheddar 

 cheeses made, which, when sufficiently ripenec^, will be sub- 

 mitted to a cheesefactor to determine their respective prices. 



c. Experiments were made to ascertain the loss in weight 



which cheeses sustains on keeping. 



d. Experiments also were instituted for the purpose of 



