

1844.1 



lr^^be^roFThe Society— the member paying one- 



lf of the expense, and the Society the other?" — 



XAU [This is just what we have taken 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



613 



half r . . 



A L. Mt Lincoln. 



* '.'available opportunity of advocating.] 



Produce of Wheat.— kt the end of August, 1843, I 



planted in my garden 32 grains of Wheat, at 6 inches 



I 



first-rate quality 



planted m —j *— - — -- ©- — - 



distance, an inch and a half deep ; the seed was 



*-. r«.t, nualitv. This seed produced this y« 



of the 

 proaucea tins vear 32 

 plants, having from 10 to 28 stems and ears each ; the 

 average number of ears was 16 ; the average weight of 

 eac h riant 1| ounce. An acre of land would contain, at 

 6 inches distance, 174,210 plants ; the produce 

 304 940 oz., or nearly 19,600 lbs., 320 bushels, or 

 40 quarters per acre. The expense of dibbing would 

 be more than saved by the diminished quantity of seed 

 required. I do not mean to state that such a result 

 kouM be obtained upon a large scale ; but I think it is 

 worthy of trial, when we know that the average produce 

 is only 1\ quarters per acre, and that it is possible (?) to 

 crow 40: it will be allowed that there is ample scope 

 for improvement. Try a breadth in your fields an inch 

 and a half deep ; put 1 grain, and 1 only, in each hole- 

 plant it at 6 or 8 inches distant — be sure to plant good 

 B eed— get as much produce as you can, but go for 

 40 quarters per acre.— Slock Exchange, August 22. 



a. 



gborictfes. 



ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY of ENGLAND. 



The Council stood adjourned to Wednesday last, the 

 4th of September, but no meeting was held on that day, 

 in consequence of the absence of members from town. 

 The adjournment accordingly now stands over the 

 autumn recess, until the 6th of November, when the 

 meetings will be resumed. 



Gorse. — Lord Kenyon having announced to the Duke 

 of Richmond, as President of the Society, his intention 

 to give a Prize of Twenty Sovereigns, at the ensuing 

 country meeting at Shrewsbury in 1845, for the best 

 Essay on the subject of Gorse as food for cattle, &c, the 

 following schedule of the terms and conditions of that 

 Prize have been received from Philip Pusey, Esq., M.P., 

 Chairman of the Journal Committee : — " Twenty Sove- 

 reigns, or a piece of plate of that value, offered by the 

 Rt. Hon. Lord Kenyon, will be given at the Annual 

 Country Meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society, to 

 be held at Shrewsbury in 1845, for the best account of 

 the use of Gorse for the food of cattle, horses, or sheep, 

 founded on actual experience. Competitors will be re- 

 quired to state the following points : — 



1. The quality of land on which the Gorse is grown. 



2. The age of the plant when cut. 



3. The mode and expense of cutting. 



4. The mode and expense of preparing for food. 



5. The mode of feeding with the Gorse, and the quantity of 



other food given therewith. 



All Essays competing for this Prize to be sent to the 

 Secretary of the Society, No. 12, Hanover-square, 

 London, on or before the 1st of May, 1845." 



The Society have received from Mr. Barton a commu- 

 nication on experiments relating to the application of 

 Sulphate of Ammonia to the Growth of Wheat ; from 



T^L To * ers ' a further statement of his results from 

 Dibbled Wheat : from M. Hugues, of Paris, a memorial 

 addressed to the President, calling the attention of the 

 Society to his new Drill, aud soliciting a practical trial of 

 its merits; from the Hon. Robert H. Clive, M.P., Vice- 

 Uiairman of the General Shrewsbury Committee, and 

 Mr. Peele, town-clerk of that borough, communications 

 on the subject of the facilities intended to be afforded in 

 the conveyance of passengers and stock to the Shrews- 

 bury Meeting, and the preparation of the 20 acres of 

 light and 20 acres of heavy land, in the immediate vici- 

 nity of the town, for the trial of implements ; from the 

 tfev. Dr. Buckland, a copy of the Address delivered by 

 nim at the Southampton Meeting to the Mayor and 



HtS° i ° f the Artesian W « U Committee ; from Mr. 

 nuiyard, of Thorpelands, near Northampton, a copy of 



yie new and enlarged edition of his work on Practical 



to^Ry^ Grazin o> dedicated, by special permission, 



Atkin Pdnce Albert > from Mr - Mo,ton and Mr - 



of th 800 ' COmmun * cat 'o n s on a proposed reduction 



thrm \ meteor °l°gical observations made extensively 



™™ghout the country, under the direc ion of Mr. 



the rul"' 7 a VieW t0 ascertain the practical value of 

 the P predicting changes of weather, contained in 



MpJ.? 8 ? com P e ' in g for the Society's Prize of the Gold 



nounn '' T Mr * Wyon ' H - M/s Chief Medallist, an- 

 Roval \l c com P let »on of the medals struck at the 

 in/ t , 0r the Exhibitors at the Southampton meet- 

 coili,? * T the * had b een awarded ; from Mr. Shaw, 

 con \ll f l ? C Farmers' Magazine ;*' from Mr. Youatt, 



socictTfi i M Veterinarian ;" from the R °y al Asiatic 



taininl* ** drt °^ tne * r printed proceedings con- 



Aericult n0t f c ° n Iodian Agriculture ; from the Royal 

 toe Cult- • iety of Jamaica ' a copy of the Essays on 

 for thp p Va | lon °f the Sugar-cane, written in competition 



* conv of a K-° fEl8in ' s Prize of 100/ - > from Mr * Munn ' 

 Hive in a WOrk descr »ptive of the Bar-and-frame 



Prizes n??i o by him ; from Mr - Osborn, a copy of the 

 eourarrg" South-East Hants Association for the en- 

 LaboSrp* * industrious and meritorious Agricultural 

 Agriculf,?- ; / r .°, m Mn Allen » copies of the" Ameiican 

 tural To, • ; r fr0m Mr ' Lille y> « copy of his Agricul- 

 U delphi a m lreland 5 fr °m Mr. Peter Hulme, of Phi- 

 A 8riculr» 8 i m ? Bt inter esting collection of American 

 tor. Ed*, /n lcation, » Presented to the Society by 

 °* Axmincf , n » of Vi rginia ; and from Mr. Pulman, 

 culturu ' » the 2d Nl »niber of the " Western Agri- 



FARMERS' CLUBS. 



Gloucester. — The following paper on The Best and 

 Cheapest Means of Carrying Stock through Winter during 

 Scarcity of Hay and Roots, was read by Mr. Gyde, of 

 Painswick, at the late meeting of this Club. 



My object is to draw attention to those substances 

 produced on the farm, which are capable of being substi- 

 tuted for hay and roots as food for cattle, and to point 

 out the quantities which practice, as well as science, 

 would indicate as equivalent to good meadow hay, in 

 feeding properties. In a paper which I formerly read 

 before you, I showed you how the doctrines of Animal 

 Physiology might be applied to the feeding of cattle. It 

 will be necessary to briefly review the leading points then 

 alluded to. The body of an animal may be divided into 

 three distinct classes of matter, namely, the muscular 

 portion, including all those structures containing nitrogen; 

 the fatty portion, which is devoid of nitrogen ; and the 

 earthy and saline portion, consisting of saline matter 

 and bone. Until within the last few years physiologists 

 supposed that the food underwent, in the stomach of the 

 animal, some change during the process of digestion; 

 that the stomach, in fact, had the power of making out 

 of the Grass and roots taken as food, those substances 

 of which its body was composed ; this power they termed 

 the vis vitce. But the investigations of modern chemists 

 show that no chemical alteration takes place in the consti- 

 tuents of substances duringdigestion,but that the elements 

 of the animal body are prepared tnd elaborated in the vege- 

 table. In the vegetable, we find a principle identical in 

 composition with the muscle of the animal, and known as 

 gluten, vegetable albumen, and casein. We have carbon 

 for combustion in the lungs, to keep up animal heat, 

 supplied in the starch, gum, and sugar of the plant; and 

 we have also oil for the purpose of forming fat, with 

 earthy and saline matter for the bone and blood ; these 

 substances are all that the animal requires, of which to 

 build up its structure. This being admitted, it only be- 

 comes necessary to ascertain the amount of those con- 

 stituents of the body daily thrown out of the system by 

 the various channels of waste, to enable us to point out, 

 with some truth, the quantities of each substance neces- 

 sary to replace the daily loss in the animal economy ; or, 

 in other words, to say how much gluten and starch of 

 the vegetable will be required to supply the waste of 

 muscular and other constituents of the animal. Prac- 

 tice says that an ox requires 2 per cent, of his live 

 weight in hay per day ; if he works, he requires 2£ per 

 cent. : a milch-cow, 3 per cent. ; a fatting ox, 5 per 

 cent, at first, 4£ per cent, when half fat, and only 4 per 

 cent, when fat; or 4£ on an average. Sheep grown up, 

 take 3£ per cent, of their weight in hay per day to 

 keep in store condition ; and growing animals should 

 never be stinted. Science has ascertained, by the most 

 carefully-conducted experiments, that a full-grown man 

 voids, in his urine alone, about £ oz. of nitrogen every 24 

 hours, and that a small quantity passes off in the solid ex- 

 cretions and by the tkin. The carbon consumed by the 

 lungs to keep up animal heat, averages about 11 ounces 

 in the 24 hours ; and the saline and earthy matter 

 voided is in direct proportion to the amount taken in the 

 food. It appears that the food consumed by an ox, 

 horse, or sheep, is in direct proportion to their weights 

 when compared with man. Hence we find that an ox 

 would require, to replace the daily loss of muscular fibre, 

 from 20 to 24 ounces of dry gluten or vegetable albumen, 

 which would be supplied in 



120 lbs. of Turnips 17 lbs. of Clover-hay 



115 lbs. of Wheat- straw 12 lbs. of Pea-straw 



75 lbs. of Carrots 



6/ lbs. of Potatoes 



20 lbs. of Meadow-hay 



The consumption of carbon by a cow amounts to 70 

 ounces ; and that of a horse to 89 ounces on an average 

 in 24 hours, which is supplied by the starch, gum, and 

 sugar of the food consumed. Fatty matter is required 

 to supply the fat of the animal, and this also exists more 

 or less abundantly in all vegetable food. Earthy phos- 

 phates and saline substances are found in the inorganic 

 portion of all vegetables, and these supply the daily 

 waste of bone, &c, of the body. Hence we see that the 

 animal requires a variety of substances, all of which exist 

 in greater or less abundance in its daily food. In one 

 article of diet we find one substance in abundance, and in 

 another other substances. Thus, farinaceous seeds are 

 made up of starch and vegetable albumen or gluten, with 

 much fatty matter and phosphates. In the oily seeds, 

 as Lint-seed, Hemp-seed, &c, the predominating ingre- 

 dient is oil, and matter called casein, which is capable of 

 supplying muscle. In the Potato, starch is the ingredient 

 in greatest quantity, combined with vegetable albumen. 

 In the Turnip, sugar and gum supply the place of 

 starch ; and in the Grasses and Clovers, woody fibre with 

 albumen, a little starch, and much saline and earthy mat- 

 ter. From a knowledge of these facts, with the assistance of 

 the accompanying Tables, which show the quantities of 

 water, woody fibre, starch or gum, gluten, albumen or 

 casein, fatty matter, and saline matter, contained in 100 

 lbs. of most of the products of the farm (see Table, 

 No. 1), and the amount of these constituents contained 

 in the produce per acre (see Table, No. 2), the judicious 

 feeder will be enabled so to mix those crops which he 

 has at his command, as to render everything available as 

 food. He may keep his stock in condition by supplying 

 with gluten, starch, and saline matter, the natural waste 

 of the body, or he may fatten, by increasing the amount 

 of food, particularly those articles containing much fat ; 

 always remembering that a mixture of food is better than 

 adhering to one article of diet, since it rarely occurs that 





12 lbs. of Barley 

 10 lbs. of Oats. 

 5 lbs. of Beans 



and without which healthy and vigorous life cannot b e 

 sustained for any considerable time. 



TABLE I.— Showing the Composition of 100 parts of the 



rr.cre commonly cultivated crop?. 



Wheat . . 

 Barley . 

 Oats 

 Rve 



Indian Corn . 

 Beans . . 

 Peas . 

 Potatoes . 

 Turnips . . 

 Carrots . 

 Meadow Hay 



Clover Hay . 

 Pea Straw 

 Oat Straw . 

 Wheat Straw 

 Barley Straw 

 Rye Straw . 

 Indian Corn Stra 



i 



5 III 



10 



12 



16 



15 



16 



12 

 U 



16 



13 



75 



85 



85 

 14 



14 



to 



12 

 to 



do. 

 do. 

 12 



15 



15 



15 



15 



20 



10 



15 



10 



8 



5 



3 



3 



30 



25 



25 



45 



50 



50 



45 



25 



si 



oo C x O •< 





55 

 6<i 

 50 



60 



50 

 40 

 50 

 12 

 10 

 10 

 40 

 40 

 45 

 35 

 30 

 30 



M 

 CI 



n 



10 to 15 2 



12? 

 14.5 

 14.5 

 12.0 

 28 

 24 



2.25 



1. 2 



a 



7.1 



M 



12.3 

 1.3 

 1.3 

 1.3 

 1.3 

 3.0 



S5 



x 2 



to 4 



'» 

 5.6 

 3.0 

 5 to 9 

 I 



28 

 0.3 

 8 

 .4 



to S 



3.0 

 1.5 



.8 

 .8 

 .8 

 .5 



1-7 





2.0 



2.0 



3.5- 



1.0 



1.5 



3.0 



2.8 



1 



1 



I 



to 

 9 



5 



6 



5 

 5> 



3 



4 



10 



TABLE H.-Average Produce of Nutritive Matter of different 

 kinds from an acre of the usually cultivated crops. 





Wheat 

 Barley 

 Oats 

 Rye. 



Indian Corn • 

 Buckwheat • 

 Beans • 



■ • 

 Peas 



Potatoes. 



Turnips . 



Carrots . 

 Meadow Hay . 

 Clover Hay . 

 Pea Straw 4 

 Wheat Straw . 



Oat Straw ! 



Barley Straw . 



Rye Straw ! 



Gross 



Produce. 



— 



£ 



3 

 'J 



- C as 





bsh. 



25 

 30 

 35 

 40 

 40 

 50 

 25 

 30 

 30 

 30 

 25 

 39 

 25 



tns. 



6 



12 



20 

 30 

 25 



H 

 2 



lbs. lbs. 



1500 225 



1800 2;o 



1800 270 



2100 315 



1700 340 



2100| 420 



1300 130 



1600 160 



1800 170 



1300 320? 



160'.' I 160 



1900 190 



1600 130 



13,500 



27,000 



45,000 



67,000 



56,000 



3400 



4500 



2700 



3000 



3600 



2700 



3500 

 2100 

 2500 

 4000 

 4S00 



67; 

 1350 

 1350 

 2010 

 1680 

 1020 

 1120 1800 



6/5 1200 



lbs. 



825 



990 

 1080 



1260 

 850 



1050 

 780 



96" 

 900 

 650 

 640 

 760 

 bOO 



1620 



324 

 4500 

 f'700 

 560" 



1360 



I 





c. 



&s 





L500 



1800 



1210 



1570 



1050 



1250 



1800 



2200 



900 

 1080 



950 

 1200 



630 



750 

 1500 

 1800 



lbs. 



150 to 220 

 1M to 260! 



216 



252 



230? 



290? 



190 



230 



216 



180 



450 



530 



3S0 



300 

 600 

 540? 

 800? 

 1120? 



240 



420 



330 



40 



43 

 36 

 48 

 28 

 33 

 53 

 I 64 



lb?. 



30 to 60 



36 to 72 



45 



52 

 95 



118 

 40 

 48 



90 to 170 



5 



32 

 36 

 45 



45 



90 

 t 

 ? 

 2C0 

 70 to 170 



135 to 225 

 40 

 15 

 18 

 20 

 28 

 16 

 20 

 20 

 24 



lbs. 



30 

 06 

 36 

 42 



60 



75 

 13 



16 



27 



21 



48 



57 

 45 



120 

 240 

 40«> 

 600 

 560 

 220 

 400 

 1:15 

 150 

 ISO 

 135 



175 

 105 

 125 

 120 

 144 



TABLE II r. — Showing the relative value of different 

 Food, as ascertained by practice; good meadow 

 taken at 100. 



Hay 



Clover Hay 

 Green Clover 

 Wheat Straw 

 Bailey Straw. 

 Oat Straw . 

 Pea Straw 

 Potatoes . 

 Old Potatoes . 



1G0 

 60 to 100 



450 to 500 

 400 to 500 

 200 to 400 

 200 to 400 

 100 to 150 

 . 200 

 . . 400 



Carrots . 

 Turnips 

 Cabbage . 

 Peas and Beans 

 Wheat . 

 Barley . 

 Oats . . 

 Indian Corn • 

 Oil Cake 



articles of 

 Hay being- 



250 to 300 



. 500 



200 to 300 



30 to 50 



50 to 



50 to 



40 to 



20 to 



60 



St 



70 



50 

 40 



The above Table represents the average results from a num- 

 ber of experiments made in France and Holland. 



TABLE IV.— Showing the amount of different articles of food o# 

 equal value as indicated by theory ; good meadow Hay, being 

 taken at 100. 



Hay . 



Clover Hay . 

 Vetch Hay 

 Wheat Straw 

 Barley Straw 

 Oat Straw . 

 Pea Straw 

 Potatoes • 

 Old Potatoes 



100 

 80 

 43 



520 



520 

 550 

 60 

 230 

 400 



Turnips . . 

 Carrots • 

 Cabbage . 

 Peas and Beans 

 Wheat 

 Barley . . 

 Oats . , 



Indian Corn 

 Oil-cake . 



. 600 

 . . 359 



300 to 40O 



20 to 30 



. 50 



. . 6» 



. 50 



. . 60 



SO 



This Table represents the supposed value as food of the 

 different articles, calculated from the amount of muscle-form- 

 ing principle, they are capable of yielding to the animal. 



£ 'Co"' : co ^"»g the continuation of he £v. V. '^ring to one .rtic.e of diet, .ince it rarely occurs that 

 '-ooybeare's contribution on Agricultural Chemistry. | °"e contains all those substances required by the animal, 



ilefjfefos. 



The Alpaca, Us Naturalisation in the British Isles con- 

 sideredas a National Benefit, and as an Object ofim. 

 mediate Utility to the Farmer and Manufacturer. 

 By William Walton. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh. 

 For most of our cultivated plants, and indeed for 

 many of our domestic animals also, we are indebted to 

 other countries. With regard to the former, the history 

 of their introduction is in many cases well established in 

 detail; but it is so long since the latest of them, the 

 Potato, the Turnip, or the Mangold Wurzel, or Carroty 

 for instance, was first cultivated in qur country, that 

 farmers have fairly settled down into the belief that 

 they must make the best of the subjects they have on 

 hand, for that Nature has nothing further in her stores 

 suited, in our climate, for the wants of man or beast. 

 And with regard to the latter, the introduction of the 

 very latest dates so much farther back, that we must 

 estimate the prejudice as stronger still which scouts at 

 the idea of any further addition being made to our stock 

 of domestic animals from the lists of other countne?* 

 Of course, in speaking of this universal prejudice, we 

 allude simply to the generality of those who at present 

 occupy and cultivate our soil, and who form their opt- 

 nion probably without very well knowing the ground* 



upon which it rests. _. ., , 



There is every probability, notwithstanding the general 



notion to the contrary, that a useful addition will shortly 



