656 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



have about the same fertilising value. Indian corn is worth only 

 11. 5s., wheat 11. 7s., barley 11. 5s., malt 11. 6s. There is, therefore, 

 no very great difference in the cereal grains, as far as their fertilising 

 constituents are concerned. Bran and pollard, which are much richer 

 in nitrogen than the fine flour, are worth 21. 15s. a ton. Malt-dust, 

 on account of its manurial value, is one of the cheapest foods that can 

 now be bought: after passing through the animal it is worth 31. lis. 

 per ton, while rice-meal is worth only from 15s. to 25s., according to 

 quality, and if there is much husk it is not worth so much, since the 

 husk of rice consists chiefly of woody fibre and silicious matter, and is 

 not to be compared to the husk of such grain as Indian corn. Palm- 

 nut-meal is worth as a fertiliser 11. 14s. per ton. Still lower is the 

 value of locust-beans, which are worth as a fertiliser about 18s. del. per 

 ton. In the same way brewer's grains are worth 12s. per ton, whilst 

 as a fertiliser molasses has no appreciable value. 



I think we may derive some useful hints from these estimates. Wc 

 shall find that the money value of purchased food is very much regu- 

 lated by the value of what j)asses through the animal, and that, after 

 all, linseed cake is by no means a dear cake, inasmuch as a con- 

 siderable portion (fully one-third) of the money expended upon it is 

 recovered in the dung. We may learn also that decorticated cotton- 

 cake, when it can be had at about 9Z. per ton, is the cheapest cake for 

 those who are anxious to produce good rich manure. Eapecake is 

 also a very valuable feeding material, and cheap, inasmuch as more 

 than one-half of its cost is returned in the manure : at the present 

 time it can be bought at about 7Z., and of that il. is recovered. These 

 are not mere fancy statements, but the result of practical inquiry. 

 The Norfolk farmers pay as much as bl. per ton for rapecake as 

 manure, and no doubt it is worth as much to them. 



I consider that sufficient attention has never been directed to the 

 money to be recovered in dung by a judicious expenditure for purchased 

 auxiliary food. I sometimes think with reference to certain mate- 

 rials that the full money value may be in that way re-obtained. If 

 malt dust in particular had no feeding value whatever, it might 

 answer to buy it merely as a manure. Another practical lesson to be 

 learnt is that brewers' grains are worth buying, simply for the manure 

 they make ; at 3d. or Ad. per bushel they furnish an economical 

 manure, and even at 6d. per bushel they are cheap ; hence it is that 

 the London cowkeepers are very anxious to buy them. Perhaps one 

 of the cheapest fattening kinds of food is palmnut meal, in it we get 

 more fattening material at a moderate jH-icc than in oil-cake ; but as it 

 is not rich in nitrogenous matter, a little deduction must be made 

 for its inferiority as a fertiliser. 



In conclusion. Dr. Voelcker said these were some of the practical 

 lessons that had occurred to him while studying a subject which he 

 had suggested to the Chemical Committee, because of its great im- 

 portance. 



The President said those present were very much indebted to the 

 Professor for the highly interesting and valuable lecture which he had 

 delivered — all the more valuable because it dealt with a matter that 



