SMALL HOLDINGS 111 



The soil may be divided into two parts : 

 the mineral matter, and the decayed or 

 decaying vegetable matter, both of which 

 provide food for plants; but the capacity of 

 the soil to grow crops depends not only upon 

 the quantity of this food, but the condition 

 in which it exists. Living plants consist to 

 a very large extent of water. Thus, in the 

 turnip we have 90 per cent, in round numbers, 

 and 10 per cent, of solid matter, most of 

 which is nutritious and digestible, and, 

 consequently, food for stock; but only a 

 small portion of the solid matter of plants 

 is derived from the soil, i.e. that which is 

 of mineral origin. The feeding matter of 

 plants is usually divided into four parts : 

 the protein or albuminous matter, of which 

 the albumin of the egg, the gluten of wheat, 

 and the legumen of pease and beans, all of 

 which contain nitrogen, are examples, and 

 which, in consequence, are utilised for the 

 construction of the muscular and other nitro- 

 genous tissue of the body of the animal; the 

 carbohydrates, which chiefly consist of starch 

 and sugar; the oils and fats and the minerals. 

 The carbohydrates and the fats, however, 

 are derived from the atmosphere, although 

 the elements of which they are composed 



