THE AGRICULTURAL GAZLTTE. 



27 



equivau cy 



fOt >V - Bv J 



OF STARCH AND SUGAR IN 

 B. La wes, Esq., F.R.S., and Dr. 



t If I LBi-RTj F.C/.b, 



fBBlTISB Ass ciatioit, Liverpool, 1854.) 



,~ ' 13 ; Read Saturday, September 23rd.) 

 ^ ! * a f thp meeting: of the British Association 



Abstract 



At the m 



at 



Belfast, the authors had given a paper on the Composi- 



9 " in relati 



Animals « * hich they had illustrated by re f ere , nce 1° 



tioD of fond in i 



relation to respiration and the feeding of 



numerous experiments, tbat. 



time, 



as our current food-stuffs 

 Twj The amounts they supplied of the assimilable 

 EL nitrogenous, rather than those of the nitrogenous 

 JStituents, which measured both the amount con- 

 ed by a given weight of animal within a given 

 S ° m and the amount of increase obtained from a 

 riven weight of food. The results which formed the 

 hVctof'tlie present communication afforded further 

 lustration of some of the points brought forward in the 

 former one ; but these new experiments, like the former 

 ones had been arranged with reference to certain prac- 

 fleal questions, as well as to the more scientific bearings 

 of the lubject Thus, those interested in the growth of 

 sugar had long wished to obtain the introduction of the 

 lower qualities of that article, for feeding purposes, 

 duty free. The subject of the remission of the malt 

 tax for the same object, had also frequently been agi- 

 tated. According to the results of the experiments — 

 numerous tables of which were exhibited in the room, 

 and in which the animals (pigs) had been made to rely 

 for about one- third of their total food upon the starch 

 or sugar employed — it appeared that all but absolutely 

 identical amounts of the dry substance of the starch and 

 Bugar thus tried against each other had both been con- 

 sumed by a given weight of animal within a given time, 

 and been required to yield a given weight of increase. 

 The practical identity in feeding value which had from 

 the known chemical relation of the two substances been 

 hitherto assumed, was now therefore experimentally 

 illustrated, and it doubtless only varied in point of fact 

 with their slightly varying percentages of carbon. If, 

 then, sugar have no higher feeding capacity than starch, 

 the relative prices, weight for weight, of sugar, duty 

 free, and of the starchy grains generally used for feeding 

 purposes, would afford an easy means of estimating the 

 probable economy of the use of the former. At the 

 price, including duty, of the coarse Penang sugar used 

 in the experiments, it would cost three or four times as 

 much as the starchy grains at the present time ; and it 

 should be remembered that these would also supply a 

 considerable amount of the needed nitrogenous con- 

 stituents of food. The new results, so far as they 

 could be supposed to apply, considering the difference 

 between cane sugar and the saccharine matter of malt, 

 were also consistent with direct experiments published 

 by the authors some time since, on the comparative 

 feeding values of malted and unmalted gr»in. It was 

 true that malt and other saccharine matters might 

 serve in some degree to give a relish to the food, and 

 thus induce the animals to consume more; which, in 

 {( fattening," is always a consideration ; but this inci- 

 dental benefit could not counterbalance much increased 

 cost. Indeed, the tendency of all the experiments was con- 

 trary to the conclusion that an extensive use of malt for feed- 

 ing purposes would be such a boon as had been supposed. 

 The proved practical equivalency of starch and sugar in 

 food was also of interest in reference to some other of the 

 views illustrated by the authors in their former papers, 

 lhus it had been shown that a fattening animal assimi- 

 lated much less nitrogen than had usually been estimated, 

 Hid that, on the other hand, it might store up very 

 considerably more fat than existed ready formed in its 

 lood ; whilst this produced fat was doubtless in a great 

 measure formed from the starchy and saccharine sub- 

 Stances which constitute so large a proportion of the 

 non-nitrogenous constituents of our staple vegetable 



hT\ U WaS theSe ' t0 °? which in P ractice served 

 argely to«*n*et the requirements of the respiratory 



Junction, which, it had been shown, under ordinary 



circumstances, measured to such an extent the amount 



01 I00d landed by the animal system. 



• i 



MODIFICATIONS OF LOIS-WEEDON. 



to th ME tUle **° a writer in the Gazette drew attention 

 into : e 1 posi t lt,llit y of growing a summer crop iu the 



faunr • lhe L "i*VVeedon corn tillage; from a 



the t ' ln SUch an attem pt about 10 years back, I was at 



writ! ,nduced t0 object to this proposition, and this 



™r received my objection in good part and with a 



of aw* 1 * 1 ! 113 l ,,ad found that even with an Interval 



SOast v! Let ^ces introduced had been drawn up 



extrem 1 "^I*" ; the rows of Bar,e y were > however, 

 Such 5i!, e - y r ( the straw 5 i feet lonL 0- As however 

 I this 1 I Uro(hlction would evidently be so much gain, 

 Small X ? ( j etermined ^ try the success of it on a 

 *asJ :.w?„ °/vf ° Und (»e-tenth of an acre), in which 1 

 and I n i 8 , at on modifications of Mr. Smith's plan ; 

 conclude on its feasibility with Turnips, Carrots, 



»e fou«Ti PS Whleh l have tried > and t,link [t wil1 a,so 

 °I*n CabbV UCeeed With Man ? old Wurzel, Rape, and 

 ^ould ihi >$**' and P erna P 9 wit h spring Beans, but I 

 iswith ii t T WUh c1ose Cabbages or Potatoes, that 



of those SJrt ° f ° n!y 3 feet The Wheat ou g ht t0 be 

 0lle I l>iJ mg tbe shopter and stiffer straw ; the 



middle <>f to Wa ? the red chaffed white, sown after the 

 *Kch w*. * - ' ^ not reaped till September 30th, 



0f ^e E2E* e ex P erime »t8. On June 15th one 



Bi Pa; at the t **** S ° Wn with Slltton 's Six-week Tur- 



* l6 inches to 91 ■ Z r . ea P in g som e of these were from 



1021 mch <* m circumference ; th 



**ti Parsni 



were 

 ese are now, 





November 20th, from 20 to 24 inches, and weigh 41 lbs. 

 each on an average. On June 23rd the proximate interval 

 was sown with Aberdeens ; at reaping some of these were 

 from 10 to 12 inches in circumference ; they are now 16 

 inches, and weigh over 2| lbs. each on an average. They 

 only received a dusting of weed-ashes, the ground having 

 been manured the year before. Had the Wheat been 

 autumn-sown, from its earlier removal the Turnips 

 would probably have been now much langer ; they might 

 also have been sown earlier. 



The further view I had in this experimental patch of 

 ground was to ascertain the effects of some modifications 

 in Mr. Smith's distances ; I sowed the Wheat in double 

 rows, 1 foot apart, with intervals of 2 feet and of 



3 feet 



able 



9 

 to 



in treble rows 

 Mr. Smith's 



and 3-feet intervals, agree- 

 plau, and again in double 

 rows, 2 feet apart, with intervals of 3 feet. The produce 

 in the various plans appeared to be pretty equal on 

 equal areas of ground, ior the Wheat in double rows 



1 foot apart and 2 feet intervals, occupying a breadth 

 of 3 feet, gave an average of 48 lbs. in the straw ; add 

 to this one-third to bring it to what ought to be the 

 produce on a breadth of 4 feet, and it would be 64 lbs. ; 

 and the double rows, with 3-feet intervals, gave an 

 average of 65 lbs. Add another third to it to bring it 

 to what ought to be a similar produce on a breadth of 

 5 feet, and it would be 80 lbs., and the treble rows, with 

 the 3-feet intervals, gave 84 lbs., and the double rows, 



2 feet apart, with the 3-feet intervals, gave 80 lbs. 



In the produce of the grain crop it appears then to 

 be very immaterial whether we have, of course under 

 certain limits, the narrower or wider intervals, but that 

 we have in the wider intervals the advantage of an 

 interlined green crops. With treble rows 1 foot apart 

 there is, however, a great disposition to overlap, and as 

 there appears so little difference in the produce between 

 them and the double rows occupying the same distance 

 of 2 feet, the double rows must on this account, as well 

 as the superiority of their fallow, and the practicability 

 of supporting them by earthing on each side, receive 

 the preference ; indeed, I do not know that had the 

 Turnips been tried in. the intervals of the treble rows 

 they would have succeeded so well as they did in the 

 intervals in which they were grown, those of the double 

 rows at 1 foot apart. 



The intervals of 3 feet may be eligible for the smaller 

 hand-worked plots of the amateur or for labourers' 

 allotments, but on a larger scale, as allowing more room 

 for working the ground wider intervals may be required, 

 say from 3 to 5 feet, and then the corn strips might be 

 widened to 3 or 4 feet. And, perhaps, as I have sug- 

 gested in a former paper, to permit of the carriage on 

 of manure, and off of crops, in narrow draft carts, the 

 strips of grain may be profitably farther widened, and 

 those of the intervals so as to admit of two rows of 

 Turnips, or so many as may be advisable of other 

 green crops, without such an extension as would forfeit 

 the mutual advantages plants of different composition 

 may derive from their proximity. 



I would remark that the strips of Wheat, between 

 which were the Turnips, were in no way inferior to the 

 adjacent ones; but some care was required in the 

 reaping to lay the Wheat lengthways of the strips. 

 J. M. Goodiff. 



FLAX CULTURE IN IRELAND. 



The soil best suited for Flax is a nice dry loam, not 

 too light, and yet not of a clayey nature. The land 

 should be drained and free from weeds ; much damp 

 injures the crop, and a quantity of noxious plants rising 

 with the Flax will materially check its perfect 

 development. 



In Belgium, Flax is usually sown after Oats, but my 

 experience, and that of my neighbours in this climate, 

 is decidedly in favour of sowing after Wheat. The 

 rotation I should recommend, and what I usually 

 practise, is to break up lea ground in Oats, followed 

 next year by Potatoes and Turnips, &c. Fourth year 

 Wheat, the one-half laid down with Clover and Grass- 

 seeds. Fifth year, Flax (J), Beans (£), and Clover (£). 

 Under this dotation, on a farm of 100 acres, the crops 

 would stand thus ; 



* • • 



- ■ • 



• f ■ 



1 1 • 



• . • 



• 1 » 



• • • 



• • • 



Grazing 



Gats 



Potatoes, Turnips, &c. 



Wheat 



Flax (5 or so), Clover-hay (10), and Beans (5 or so) 



• . • 



• • • 



• • • 



it* 



• at 



■ • ■ 



■ ■ • 



- > - 



• •• 



• • * 



• ♦ • 



• • t 



• • f 



20 acres. 

 20 

 20 

 20 



20 



n 



100 



Of course this rotation is subject to frequent modifica- 

 tions, such as stealing a crop of Turnips after early 

 Potatoes, and taking vetches of Rape before late 

 Turnips. Some people might wish for more Flax and 

 others for less ; this can be varied at discretion, pro- 

 vided it does not come oftener than once in 10 years on 

 the same soil. It is great folly to put in Flax the 

 first year after a Potato crop ; the plant grows too 

 rank to thrive, and the farmer besides loses the inter- 

 mediate very profitable crop of Wheat, without any 

 real benefit to counterbalance the sacrifice. This folly 

 is sometimes committed by ignorant farmers who think 

 Flax an exhausting crop ; whereas, a little scientific 

 know ledge explains that if not grown oftener than once 

 in 10 years on the same soil, it is not a severe crop 

 among the usual group and in its proper place, but quite 

 the reverse. In fact, if sown after Wheat, and the 

 ground laid down with Clover and Rye-grass, it is really 

 an extra crop, grown without manure, and in no way 

 interfering with the Oat crop that usually follows hay 



or grazing. 



Too often the profits of the Flax crop have 



been 



over-rated, and much disappointment caused thereby, 

 among parties who tried the cultivation with only 

 moderate success. For my own part I have never been 

 able to reach the immense profits 1 hear of and see in 

 print, though I have certainly realised a fair remunera- 

 tion on all average crops. I mention this that novices 

 may not be misled into the idea of making fortunes all 

 at once by Flax cultivation ; what I desire is to see it 

 introduced by every agriculturist in Great Britain as 

 a portion of the regular rotation on his farm ; and if 

 one-twentieth part of the good arable land in the 

 kingdom was thus regularly under Flax, we would be 

 quite independent of any foreign supply, and would 

 possess a stock of fibre and Linseed that would in many 

 ways contribute to the benefit of both the manufacturing 

 and agricultural interests. 



As I have alluded to the important question of profits, 

 I may as well introduce here some statements of the 

 actual cost of Flax cultivation on my own farm, care- 

 fully prepared for me by my land-steward ; also the 

 result of similar experience of several gentlemen about 

 Belfast, who took the trouble of keeping accurate 

 accounts: — 



No. 1. Flax grown on Mr. Charley's farm, one statute 

 acre, considered an average crop : 

 Dr. 



To ploughing 1st, 10s. &*.; 2nd, 7s. 

 „ one grubbing and two harrowings 



„ twice picked of weeds 



„ harrowing seed and rolling 

 „ weeding 



„ preparing rushes and ropes 



pulling 



rippling and binding ... 



saving and storing bolls 



cleaning out water pond 



carting to water 



„ putting in ditto, and fixing 



lifting out of ditto 



carting to Grass 



spreading ... 



lifting, binding, stooking 



carting home 



„ stacking and thatching ... 



carting to mill 



ditto back ... 

 „ scutching 29J stones 

 „ seed, 1 barrel 

 „ rent and taxes, 40s. 



• i • 



• •« 



13 



V 

 V 



11 



• •» 



• •• 



«•• 



«•• 



I •• 



• »• 



91 

 V 



• •• 



• • • 



• • • 



• •• 



• »» 



■ ■ » 



• •• 



V 

 11 



i •» 



■ ■ ■ 



• t » 



• •• 



• «• 



• • • 



• •• 



• • t 



• •• 



• •• 



tii 



• • ■ 



• ■ • 



• •• 



• • • 



• • • 



• # ♦ 



• •t 



• •• 



• •• 



• • • 



• • • 



«•• 



• ■ t 



• # • 



£ 9. 

 17 

 10 





 

 

 







2 



1 

 4 

 2 

 8 



12 



• • • 



• •• 



• • * 



• •• 



• •* 



• • t 



• •• 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



1 

 1 



■1 



1 



1 



4 

 4 



1 

 4 

 4 

 2 

 3 

 3 

 4 

 2 

 14 

 5 

 



d. 



6 



6 



9 

 

 8 

 O 

 6 

 2 

 2 

 8 

 1 

 2 



8 



4 



6 



6 



2 



1 

 9 



2 











Or. 



Total expenses on one acre 



£9 15 10 



• • 



By sales, 29£ stones, at 8s. 



Bulls for feeding 30 bushels, at Bd. 



£11 16 

 1 = 12 16 



Profit 



• •• 



• » • 



£3 2 



No. 2. 



£ s. d. 



-Flax grown on Mr. Hunter's Farm, at Dun- 

 murry, 1852, above an average crop ; 



Dr. 

 For rent and taxes, 5J acres (Irish) at SI. 10s., equal to 



about 8 9-10ths acres statute measure, at 40s. 

 For ploughing and preparing ground 



1" OF bctu >a « ••• •»• ••« •»• 



For weeding, pulling, and steeping work, &c. ... 

 For scutching at mill ... 



• •• 



• ■ • 



• ■ t 



t »• 



»»« 



• «• 



• •• 



19 5 







13 







11 







15 







14 10 







' Or. 



By sales, 32 cwt 10 lbs. 



By ditto, 342 cwt. 21 lbs. 



• • • 



• ■• 



«•• 



■ •• 



• #• 



£72 15 



£ 10 17 9 

 109 6 0=120 3 9 



Profit 



• • • 



• •• 



£47 8 9 



£ s. d. 



being 5?. 6s. Id. per statute acre. 



No. 3. — Flax grown on Mr. Coates's Farm at Malone, 



1850, a fair crop : 



Dr. 



To rent of 8 Irish acres, at 5Z., nearly equal to 13 English 



or statute, at 61s. 3c?. 



To taxes on same 



ploughing, pr3paring ground, and sowing ... 



cost of sowing ... ... ... ... ••• 



wages for weeding, pulling, and stacking 

 rolling, taking off seed, and re-stacking 



commission on sale of seed 



steeping, spreading, and cartage of Flax, cost 

 To cash paid for scutching at mill 



• • • 



• - • 



• t • 



• • • 



• •• 



• » ■ 



• •• 



• •• 



It 



91 

 11 



• •• 



• b* 



11 

 11 

 If 



«•• 



Or. 



By cash received for seed— 



89£bushls, at 9s. ... £40 

 22 do. kept ... 7 

 By cash received for inferior seed for cattle 

 per flax fibre — 

 379 stones of 16 lbs, at 6s 113 14 





• • • 



40 













• •• 



2 



9 



3 





• •« 



6 12 



8 





• •• 



19 



2 









• •• 



15 



7 



9 





■ ■* 



8 







8 





• •• 



1 













• •• 



7 



1 10 





£ 



| 



21 12 10 





121 



7 







5 



6 









9 













Profit 



• •» 



• •• 



#• • 



0=161 8 6 

 £40 1 6 



equal to 51. Is. Bd. per statute acre. 



This Malone farm is close to Belfast, and the rent is 

 consequently very high for an agriculturist. The price 

 obtained (6*.) is rather below the average, and shows 

 the crop was nothing particular in fineness or quality. 

 Mr. Hunter did not save the seed of his crop of Flax, 

 but treated it in the old-fashioned manner, which he 

 thinks most remunerative. Mr. Coates saved the seed 

 for sowing ; while my steward took off the seed for feed- 

 ing purposes only. Both these parties are gentlemen of 

 high standing and probity, and I am sure furnished per- 

 fectly correct accounts of their crops and expenses as 

 far as they knew, but I think Mr. H.under-estimated 

 his working expenses a little. Communicated by Mr. W* 

 S. Hill, of J3clfast, to the Journal of the Society of Arts. 



With all 



Home Correspondence 



Acreage consumed by Farm Horses. 

 deference to you, I am firm in my conviction that one 

 farm horse consumes the produce of 6 average acres of 

 arable land. If you admit that the cost of a farm 

 horse for his weekly keep is 10s. or 26?. per annum, the 

 case is at once proved, for M'Cullocb, Porter, and 

 Spackman do not allow more for the average gross pro- 

 duce of 1 acre in England and Wales than I stated, and 

 Mr. Lavergne in his recent able and comprehensive 

 volume on « British Agriculture ?, (translated by a 







