I20 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Feb., 1909. 



fertility — potash, phosphorous, and nitrogen. Neither do the fats and 

 carbo-hydrates contain those elements, being composed of carbon, hydrogen, 

 and oxygen, in varying proportions. Protein — the muscle and tissue 

 builder— contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulphur in 

 varying proportions. 



In 100 lbs. of wheat the farmer sells 11.4 lbs. of protein; in 100 lbs. 

 of eggs he sells 11.9 lbs. of protein. He sells 71.8 lbs. of nitrogen-free 

 extract, or carbo-hydrates composed of starch, gum, sugar, &c., in the 

 wheat and none in the eggs. Eleven pounds of shells are sold in each 

 100 lbs. of eggs, but none are contained in the wheat. He sells 2 lbs. 3 ozs. 

 of fat in the wheat ; 9 lb. 5 ozs. in the eggs. This fat is carbon, hydrogen, 

 and oxygen, all of which are largely drawn from the two free and abundant 

 elements — air and water. He sells 2 lbs. 6 ozs. nitrogen in wheat, pro- 

 bably about the same in the eggs; about 13 ozs. of phosphoric acid and 

 \ lb. of potash in the wheat, but only a trace of each in the eggs. 



By the foregoing it will be readily seen that the farmer sells the 

 fertility away from his farm — nitrogen, phosphorous, potash — in selling 

 wheat. With the eggs he sells lime, water, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and 

 some nitrogen. The hen returns the elements not derived from air and 

 water back to the soil. Then feed the wheat to hens — 4 ozs. of wheat 

 per hen is a large daily ration. The experiment stations figure on much 

 less. The 100 lbs. of wheat feeds a hen 400 days — call it a year. We 

 may safely say that the wheat with fairly good management will yield 

 ICO per cent, profit if turned into egg production. Moreover, you have 

 the hen left at the end of the year. The hen has returned fertility to the 

 soil — wheat robbed it for ever. 



Success in '^gg Production. 



Systematic Feeding at Dookie Agricultural College. 



{From the Report of the Principal, Mr. Hugh Pye.) 



Feeding, Etc. 



table of a successful daily ration for 222 birds. 



Fresh water is supplied every day, and on extra hot days twice. Shell 

 grit is the principal form of grit supplied. Litter in the form of straw is 

 also present, amongst which the grain is thrown. The objects of the litter 

 in the pens are principally to give exercise and to keep the birds from eating 

 their food too rapidly. Straw litter also acts as a mulch, especially in 

 summer, to keep the ground cool and as moist as possible, and secondly, 

 to encourage a certain amount of insect life for the birds. The litter when 

 removed can be used for ameliorating the mechanical condition of the soil 

 where trees are planted, and coniains a certain amount of fertilising matter 

 also. 



