iNqUIKIES AND llEFLIKti. 



Hominy Chop and Brewers' Grains. 



All/ill (' nasi .-- -" \\'li;it .ire the aiuilyses oi lioiiiiiiv cliiil) ;iii(l 

 hrcwtu's' ^riiiiis y (';iii \(iu ^ive mo soiiu' idea of \\{)\\ to woik out 

 the Jiioiietavy value ol \arious foods 0)i a unit basis;-'" 



Ccdara School of An ricull urc replies: The average composition 

 of the two foods to wliicdi you refer is us follows: — 



Crude ^, , ,, , Soluble 



nr • t r> Crude ( rude ,, , , , 



M(ii8ture. Pro- ., , ,,., ( arbo- Ash. 



, . rat. hibre. , , , 



tein. liydriite!!^. 



Hominy C'liop 10 10 7 6 (A 15 



Brewers' Grains ... JO 20 ti 17 4;; 4 



To \alue leedino stuffs is more complex than in ilie ( aso of 

 I'crt ilizers, lor there .ne factors, sucli as palaiahil ily . for cxanjple, 

 whicii canm)t he r<'(luce(l In houres. 'i'iu' followino' fomnda gives a 

 useful eslinnOe in comi)aring ])rices of foods of a similar type. 

 Xo. of food unils ])ei' ton (crude protein + crude fat) x 2"-) + soluble 

 ear])ohydrates. In the case of the above foods, ihe \alues would be: 



Hominy Chop ... (10 + 7) x 2'-) + 04 - lO-'il food units. 



Brewers' Grains . (20 + (>) x 2-;^) + 43 = 102\S food units. 



This method should be worked out on the digestible '•onstii uen(s 

 of the food instead oi Ihe total jiereentages to obtain more correct 

 lelative values. It also iiududes an allowajice for the manurial value 

 of the food. The relative (dieai)ness of different feeding stuffs can 

 readily be com})ared liy dividing flu* price per ion by the iiuniber 

 of food units, and so ascertaining the cost \H'y food unit. 



Cracking of Surface of Soil. 



/ /ic/ki/i !j(i . — ■' The soil oi |)ar( of my mealie lands is (0 a very 

 sandy naluie, but contains some y(dlowish (day. I find (hat Ihe sur- 

 face cakes and cracks in (lr\ weather, a condition gi'aduaUy getting 

 woi'se. I have nuinuied with nitiate of soda for tlu' [)ast few years. 

 Can you tell me the reason foi' this cra(d<ing of the surface and suggest 

 a I'emedy ? ' ' 



Cediiiti Sclifxil of Af/riciilfuri' i('})lies : In nitrate of soila tiie 

 essential constitueuf is nitrogen, which is taken up by the crop, 

 leaving the soda in the foim of the carbonate or hydrate (black 

 alkali). The pre>:ence of this causes the clay to puddle easily, 

 especially if worked when wet, and then to harden and crack on 

 drying". The sand in your soil should help to jirevent this, Init pos- 

 Siilily tl;ert> is a bud-c cf the intermediate silt i)articles in the soil, 

 wlucli woijld accentuate the effect of the clay. The remedy is to 

 substitute ammonium suli)hate for the nitrate of soda if a f|uick acting 

 manure is desired, as it tends to increase the acidity of the .-oil and 

 sf) counteracts the effect of the alkali. Liming- will be found bene- 

 hcial, es})eciaUy if the lunnus content of the soil is first increased by 

 green manniing or a})plicat ions (d kiaal manure. 



