HIGH FAEM1NG. 221 



lodging and feeding from 70 to 90 pigs, it has cost him 

 more ; and that even the additional 500 Ibs. which he says 

 that he ought to have got, but which he did not get, would 

 fail to bring down the ammonia to the price at which he 

 buys it from the drysalter. Having, therefore, before 

 shown that he cannot, by buying ammonia, grow wheat to 

 profit at 5s. per bushel, we have now shown that neither 

 can he do so by manufacturing it. 



We need not follow Mr. Huxtable into his calculations 

 of the feeding value of his turnips. Mr. Curwen, Mr. 

 Boxwell, and Mr. Howden, may be quite right when they 

 estimate that a certain weight of clover and turnips will 

 produce so much live weight in an animal, but we appre- 

 hend that Mr. Huxtable is quite wrong when he reduces 

 that live weight into beef by the tables, and reckons that 

 beef at the highest market price. Beef varies at this mo- 

 ment in Smithfield market from 3|d. to 5\d. per Ib. ; and we 

 apprehend that twelve pounds of beef, made by a ton of 

 yellow turnips, would be estimated there at the former 

 figure, which would sadly derange Mr. Huxtable's calcula- 

 tions. This, however, we may remark, though it is worth 

 but a passing sentence, that if it is bad to farm with our 

 instructor on the plan of either buying or manufacturing 

 ammonia, it is worse to farm with him without doing either ; 

 for in the latter case we must deduct from the debtor ac- 

 count the price of 62J Ibs. of ammonia, and perhaps 5s. 

 from threshing and harvesting ; and from the creditor 12 J 

 bushels of wheat, leaving the balance in hand 12s. 3d. (or, 

 if the wheat be reckoned at the present price of 4s. 9c?. 

 per bushel, 7s. 4<|d.) to pay interest of capital and profit 

 on an acre of wheat grown on land free from couch, and 

 ready to receive the seed on a single ploughing. Never 

 before were we conducted by an agricultural instructor to 

 so complete a reductio ad absurdum. 



Even if our investigation of Mr. Huxtable's accounts 

 had been more favourable to his views, we must have pro- 

 tested altogether against the basis on which they are 



