352 



On increasing our Supplies of Animal Food. 



our cattle crops have yet been made even to the extent that was 

 possible : at least we know of none ; and having but little per- 

 sonal experience of the subject, at least of any definite kind, we 

 are forced to fall back upon the analyses of chemists ; and the 

 following table, taken from Professor Johnstone's work, exhibit- 

 ing the quantity of solid matter per cent, of the crops named will 

 be held by many to be instructive on this subject. 



There is difference enough among authorities here to make 

 reliance upon any particular set of figures a very difficult thing ; 

 the probability, and, indeed, in reference to some of the crops, the 

 certainty is, that individual specimens vary too much in the 

 quantity of water they contain to allow one set of results to stand 

 as the representative of a crop. There is great difference too in 

 the composition of the dry solid matter these roots contain. Some 

 of them have a larger proportion of fatty substances, or a larger 

 quantity of the flesh-forming principle than others; but I prefer 

 on this subject to abide by the experience, imperfectly ascertained 

 as it is, of the farmer, rather than by the doubtful* figures of the 

 chemical analyst. We may prefer a ton of swedes to one of 

 mangold wurzel, notwithstanding the enormous superiority of the 

 latter, according to the chemist ; and we may prefer the orange 

 globe to the long red beet, notwithstanding that the specimen of 

 the latter, hitherto examined^ appears to have contained a smaller 

 proportion of water. For this reason I do not further extract 

 from Professor Johnstone on the composition of the other cattle 

 crops; but I must not forget to remind the reader that the one 

 given above professes to state the relative value per ton, not per 

 acre, on which of course the farmer's opinion must depend. The 



* " Doubtful " in respect that, however accurately true of the individual, they can 

 rarely be held true of the species or genus. 



