Agricultural Chemistry — Sheep- Feeding and Manure. 299 



not doubt the statements of others, yet we are convinced that 

 such results are very mischievously misapplied, if it be concluded 

 that they in any degree fairly represent the average increase ob- 

 tained in practical farming. Indeed the circumstances under 

 which these sheep were placed were in every respect the most 

 favourable that could be imagined, viz. summer weather and 

 the feed of a luxuriant crop of highly manured clover, with oil- 

 cake besides — conditions which at best can be equalled during a 

 few months only of every twelve. 



We now turn to a consideration of the composition of the food 

 consumed in the experimental pens : — 



SERIES II. 



Table 5.— Showing the per Centages of Dry Matter, Mineral Matter, and 

 Nitrogen in the Foods. 



Per Centages. 





Period of 

 Consumption. 







Dry Matter. 



Ash. 



Nitrogen. 



Description 

 of 



Date 

 of 



Weight 

 taken 

 for 



Inclu- 

 sive 



Or- 

 ganic 

 only. 



In 



fresh 



In 



dry 



In 



fresh 



In 



dry 



Food. 



From 



To 



Sampling. 



Drving, 

 &c. 



of 

 Ash. 



mat- 

 ter. 



mat- 

 ter. 



mat- 

 ter. 



mat- 

 ter. 



Oil-cake . . 



June 5 



Oct. 17 



Sept. 12 



2 Samples, 

 25 oz. each 



87-36 



81-88 



5-48 



6-27 



5-01 



5-74 



Linseed, No. 1. 



June 5 



Aug. 23 



Sept. 12 



\2\OL. „ 



90-56 



86-28 



4-28 



4-72 



3-68 



4-07 



Linseed, No. 2. 



Aug. 23 



Oct. 17 



Sept. 12 



25 oz. „ 



91-54 



87-46 



4-08 



4-45 



4-05 



4-44 



Barley . . . 



June 5 



Oct. 17 



Sept. 12 



25 oz. 



85-54 



83-23 



2-31 



2-70 



1-49 



1-74 



Malt . . . 



June 5 



Oct. 17 



Sept. 12 



25 oz. ,, 



91-65 



89-34 



2-31 



2-52 



1'51 



1-65 



Clover Chaff . 



June 5 



Oct. 17 



Sept. 16 



50 oz. „ 



84-66 



77-39 



7-27 



8-58 



2-11 



2-50 



From these analytical results it appears that weight for weight 

 the oil-cake contained about 5 per cent, less dry-organic-matter 

 than the linseed; the former has, however, about one- third more 

 mineral matter, and nearly one- third more nitrogen than the 

 latter. We believe that such may be taken, as representing, in 

 general terms, the usual comparative composition of the two sub- 

 stances, as respects the constituents here named. We see, how- 

 ever, that one of the specimens of linseed contained 0*37 per cent, 

 less nitrogen than the other, and it must be understood that dif- 

 ferent samples of both oil -cake and linseed are found to vary con- 

 siderably from those referred to, and that the remarks made 

 above are only intended to indicate a general fact, and do not at 

 all do away with the desirableness of deciding upon the purchase 

 of foreign food or manure, only upon the results of special ana- 

 lyses, for the ready provision of which the Royal Agricultural 

 Society has recently made arrangement open to all its members. 



