10 Composition of the Yellow Lupine, 



1. Green lupines are a useful crop, which may be grown in 

 England with much advantage on poor sandy soils, on which 

 clover, sainfoin, and other kinds of produce do not succeed well. 



2. Yellow lupines are useful as a green food for sheep and 

 cattle. 



3. The nutritive value of lupines cut down green, in com- 

 parison with clover, lucerne, sainfoin, rye, and other green food, 

 remains to be determined by future and numerous analyses, and, 

 above all, by an extended experience of practical men. 



4. On soils destitute of lime and sulphuric acid, the applica- 

 tion of gypsum, lime, marl, and road -scrapings (provided the 

 road-metal consists of limestone) is likely to increase the pro- 

 duce and enhance the feeding value of the lupines. 



Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, December, 1860. 



To Dr. Augustus Voelcker. 



1 HAVE great pleasure in answering your inquiries respecting 

 my experiment with lupines as a farm crop. Let me give you 

 in the first place some idea of the nature of the soil on which 

 they were grown. < 



My farm is situated about 7 miles south-west of Oxford, and 



2 miles south of the Thames ; geologically, in the neighbourhood 

 of the Coral Rag. Ours is mostly sandy land, interspersed with 

 stone-brash. 



The soil of this farm is what is commonly called a light, 

 blowing sand, of so fine a nature that high winds very much 

 disturb the surface in dry weather, and sometimes cause con- 

 siderable injury to young growing plants to turnips more espe- 

 cially. The sand-beds mostly rest on a porous sandstone rock, 

 and therefore require no draining; on the contrary, we often 

 suffer from drought : one week of hot, dry weather in the summer 

 is enough to check the growth of corn. This season has not 

 tested the powers of lupines to withstand dry, hot weather on 

 poor, light sands; but, considering their habit of growth, it is 

 likely that they possess this power in a great degree. They have 

 a tap-root more than a foot in length. This sandy land possesses 

 a very low agricultural value. Much of it has been brought into 

 cultivation within the last few years ; and at the present time 

 there are still acres to be seen growing nothing but furze and 

 heaths. The value of this kind of land varies from 10s. to 30s. 

 an acre. My farm is made up principally of the lowest class. 

 The field in which the lupines were grown may be considered 

 of medium value. It has averaged 20 bushels of wheat and 28 

 bushels of barley to an acre when farmed in the four-course rota- 



