and a Soil suitable to its Culture. 



circumstances. It is well known that the chemical and physical 

 condition of the soil has a mighty influence oh the nutritive 

 qualities of the crops raised upon it. In like manner the kind 

 and amount of manure applied to the land tend to modify the 

 composition of the produce, and with it its nutAtive properties. 

 And, finally, it ought not to be forgotten that the past summer 

 was unusually wet and cold, and consequently decidedly un- 

 favourable to thi proper i opening of the herbage and the abun- 

 dant formation of sugar, whilst it contributed, no doubt, to an 

 unusually large proportion of water in all green food. 



We have yet to learn to what extent the composition of lupines 

 is affected by our changeable climate, by the soil, time of 

 cutting down, &c. &c., before a generally correct opinion can 

 be expressed as regards their value as green food. 



It is well to bear in mind especially that the amount of water 

 in every description of vegetable produce varies immensely with 

 the circumstances under which it is raised. Thus I find the per- 

 centage of water in swedes varying from 86 to 91 per cent. ; in 

 turnips, from 87 to 94 per cent. ; in mangolds, from 85 to 90 per cent. 

 A chemist analysing a particular swede and finding the amount 

 of water in that root to be 91 per cent., and also analysing a turnip 

 and finding only 88 per cent, of water in this turnip, and not 

 knowing the fluctuation in the amount of water and dry matter to 

 which both roots are liable, might thus incautiously derive from 

 these analyses the conclusion that turnips are more nutritious than 

 swedes. In the same manner a farmer who one year consumes 

 unusually good turnips, and the next, poor swedes, containing it 

 may be 91 per cent, of water, might arrive precisely at the same 

 opinion as the analyst. But what is perfectly true in particular 

 instances does not apply to the vast majority of cases ; we must 

 therefore beware of deducing general conclusions from isolated facts. 



In green food more especially the amount of water, and also 

 that of other constituents, varies considerably. Thus in the 

 analyses of one and the same kind of clover, lucerne, and sain- 

 foin, as recorded by Professor Way, Dr. Anderson, and myself, 

 \ve meet with the following differences : 



