Agricultural Chemistry — Sheep- Feeding and Manure. 315 



chaff, in one linseed and clover-chaff, in another barley and clover- 

 chaff, and in another malt and clover-chaff. 



The prominent inference from the results of the second and 

 third series of experiments — in the former of which it is sup- 

 posed that there was probably an excess of all required con- 

 stituents of food., and in the latter at least of some — is, that in 

 neither were these in a favourable condition to meet the wants of 

 the animals ; and that if, as we believe to be the case, other things 

 being equal, the amount of nitrogen in food greatly determines its 

 value as such, there will be a very wasteful expenditure of it, 

 unless the food employed be suited to the tastes and circum- 

 stances of the animals ; and that if these points be not attended 

 to, any calculation as to the probable amount of meat and manure 

 respectively, produced by the consumption of a given amount of 

 food, will be uncertain and unsatisfactory. Under any circum- 

 stances, however, the attainment of so desirable an end as bringing 

 within the range of fixed rule and measurement the subtle, yet 

 not capricious, operations of animal life, would seem, from the very 

 nature of the subject, to be fraught with difficulty, as indeed the 

 results of experiment are found to furnish ample testimony. 



Experiments with Sheep. — Series IV. 



It was intended by this series of experiments further to test 

 the feeding and manuring value of barley and malt, compared 

 both one with the other, and with other articles of food. It will 

 be remembered that in the former experiments with these sub- 

 stances, the complementary food was clover-chaff ; and, that the 

 animals not making much progress, this was supposed to be due 

 to the want of succulent food, which, however, could not at the 

 time be employed. 



The present series was commenced in February, 1849; and it 

 was at first intended to have given Swedish turnips with the other 

 foods, but it was feared that they would not remain in a good and 

 sound condition so long as the experiment was required to be 

 continued, and in an gol d- w u rzel was therefore decided upon as 

 better suited to our purpose in some respects, though in others 

 not without objection; for although the mangolds would remain 

 in a sufficient state of preservation to the end of the experiments, 

 yet they are seldom a genial food so early in the season as it was 

 required to use them, whilst sheep do not seem to relish them as 

 they do the turnip ; aud the results to be detailed will show that 

 these circumstances were not without their influence. 



A flock of 100 three-year old wethers, which had been recently 

 fed in the field upon swedes and clover-chaff, were weighed 

 February 26, from which, according to weight and general simi- 

 larity of breed, 45 were taken, and 5 put into each of 9 of the ex- 



