KOOT-CEOPS. 63 



products as our feeding roots, is therefore one of great im- 

 portance. In the early reports of the Eothamsted feeding 

 experiments, published more than forty years ago, we called 

 attention to the fallacy of estimating the whole of the 

 nitrogen of our stock-foods as protein or albuminoid com- 

 pounds, especially in the case of succulent and unripened 

 products. 



Table 19 (p. 64) gives results as to the condition of the Swedes. 

 nitrogen in Swedish turnips grown in the experimental rota- 

 tion at Eothamsted in 1880; also in the mangels grown in 

 the experiments in 1878, 1879, and 1880. 



It should be explained that one portion of the rotation Without 

 land has been entirely unmanured throughout, and that the manwre - 

 roots so grown are quite abnormal, none of the characters of 

 the cultivated root being developed under these circum- 

 stances. The results given relate to the roots grown in 

 1880 as the first crop of the ninth course. It is seen that 

 with an abnormally high percentage of total nitrogen in the 

 roots (0.347 in the fresh, and 2.758 in the dry), there was 

 also a high percentage of albuminoid nitrogen; which cor- 

 responded, however, to only 32.9 per cent of the total 

 nitrogen. 



The next plot had received, for the roots, superphosphate Superphos- 

 of lime alone. Under these conditions the roots of the ninth p ^ ate 

 course show a very low percentage of nitrogen in their dry 

 substance (0.984), but 59.1 per cent of it existed as albu- 

 minoid compounds. 



Lastly, the third plot received for the roots of each course Complex 

 a complex manure, both mineral and nitrogenous. The manure - 

 percentage of total nitrogen in the dry substance of the 

 roots (1.539), though not high, was nevertheless more than 

 one and a-half time as high as in the case of the roots 

 grown by superphosphate alone ; and the proportion of the 

 nitrogen which was as albuminoids was only 42.5 per cent. 



Then, again, it is seen that in the cultivated roots by far Manure 

 the larger proportion of the albuminoid nitrogen existed in av :f solubl . e 



^ yiltTOCfCTh %7b 



the juice — that is to say, was soluble, whilst in the un- roots. 

 manured or, so to speak, uncultivated roots, a comparatively 

 small proportion of the total albuminoids existed in the juice. 



These results with Swedish turnips are very instructive, influence 

 as showing how very dependent is the proportion of the °f manu r- 



%fbO OTh 



nitrogen existing in the favourable food-condition of albu- feeding 

 minoid compounds, on the conditions of the manuring, and £ a ^ °f 

 on the maturity of the crop. 



In the results relating to the mangels the influence of Mangels; 

 season as well as of manure on the condition of the nitrogen ™-^i wce °f 



o season and 

 IS illustrated. manure. 



