312 



AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



The reader will notice the large quantity of common Salt (Chloride of 

 sodium J found in the blood of our domestic animals, and as our com 

 mon forage plants contain but a small quantity of it, he will see the ne 

 cessity of regularly supplying it with the food. In countries near the 

 Sea, as in Great Britain, sufficient salt is deposited on the grass by the 

 winds and spray, and there, salt is not given to cattle ; but in the West, it 

 becomes an essential necessary of life, and were it not for the &quot; Salt 

 Licks&quot;, the Deer and other wild, ruminating animals would perish. 



(For the effect of blood as a manure upon wheat, in its yield and 

 composition see ante $ 177 p 68 ; upon rye $ 211, p 87 ; upon barley 

 $ 237, p 91 ; and upon oats $ 262, 103. 



684. HAIR, HORN, AND WOOL, arc distinguished from the 

 muscular parts of the animal body, by the large proportion- 

 about 5 per cent of sulphur which they contain. They consist 

 of a substance, which, in other respects, closely resembles gluten 

 and gelatine in its chemical composition. When burned they 

 leave from one to 2 per cent of ash. The inorganic matter, 

 therefore, is generally the same as is found in the muscular fibre 

 and the bone. 



685. BONES are, in reality, that portion of animals, to which, 

 as a manure, the former is the most indebted. It has been ob 

 served that all useful plants contain phosphorus, which is one 

 of the rarest minerals in the soil; which, when in a soluble form, 

 is most rapidly withdrawn; and yet, without which, plants be 

 come useless, for the sustenance of animal bodies. It has oc 

 curred, that the old pasture lands of Cheshire, England, became 

 impoverished of this element ; and although grass continued to 

 grow, it was inferior in quality, and animals fed upon it be 

 came diseased, especially as to their bony structure. Till lately 

 bones and brains have been the only available source whence 

 Phosphorus could be procured. The following is the composi 

 tion of the Ileum of a sheep (A,) of an ox (B.) and the verte 

 brae of a haddock (C.) (Thompson.) 



ABC 



Organic matter, 433 48.5 39.5 



Phosphate of lime, - - 50.6 45.2 56.1 



