38a Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



the animal body than the same weight of the soluble carbohydrates. 

 Both of these food constituents owe their value almost entirely to the 

 fact that they are sources of heat and energy, as well as promoting 

 when in excess the formation of fatty tissue. On the other hand, the 

 protein, besides being the constituent that builds up and replaces the 

 worn-out muscular tissue of the body, is also the source of nitrogen in 

 the resulting manure ; it therefore has a considerable residual manurial 

 value in addition to its value as a food constituent pure and simple. 

 In the metliod given above of estimating the value of feeding stuffs 

 by food units, the manurial value as well as the feeding value of each 

 constituent is taken into consideration, although, as previously stated, 

 the mineral matter of the food is not taken into account in this respect. 



It would be beyond the scope of this article to deal exhaustively 

 with this aspect of the subject and to attempt to give figures showing 

 the probable proportion of the various fertilizing constituents from a 

 food that would be found ultimately in the manure, but it is certainly 

 a point that a farmer should bear in mind when buying artificial 

 foods. Speaking generally, the oilcakes yield the richest manure, as 

 they contain the largest proportion of nitrogen and phosphoric oxide, 

 with a fair amount of potash. Next to these come the leguminous 

 seeds and bran. The cereal grains are slightly inferior to the ordinary 

 meadow or veld hay in this respect, while roots are ihe poorest of all. 



In conclusion, the fact must again be emphasized that the unit 

 values given in this article, owing to the abnormal conditions of the 

 market, are only very approximate indeed. Also, since the prices of 

 fertilizers and feeding stuff's fluctuate such a great deal at present, 

 some of the unit values that were approximately correct for the 

 beginning of the year may be very far out by now. For these reasons 

 undue stress must not be laid on their correctness for comparing 

 l)rices of fertilizers and feeding stuffs as the season advances, but the 

 writer hopes to be able from time to time to correct these lists and to 

 publish them in the Journal. Of course as the market becomes more 

 stabilized more and more reliance can be placed on the list of unit 

 values drawn up. 



Fencing. 



The following fence is recommended for stock purposes : — Strain- 

 ing posts of iron in good, hard wood, to be placed not more than 400 

 yards apart. Standards of iron on good, hard wood, the latter to be 

 not less than 6 inches in diameter at the thin ends, to be placed not 

 more than 20 yards apart. Droppers not less than four between eacli 

 two standards. Wire not less than four strands of barbed wire. 

 Gates where necessary over public roads should be 15 feet long and 

 constnicted as laid down in Act No. 17 of 1912 (Section 28). 



The Journal aims at keeping farmers informed of what the 

 Department of Agriculture is doing, also of such matters affecting 

 their interests as come under its purview. The Journal contains 

 original articles for the guidance of the farmer on the many and 

 diverse problems which face him. Every farmer should lead it and 

 keep it. 



