Agricultural Chemistry. — Pig Feeding. 



535 



from the nitrogenous ones. We believe, indeed, from direct ex- 

 periments which we have made, that, in fact, the composition of 

 our domestic animals generally — but especially that of the gross 

 increase of the so-called fattening " animals — consists of a much 

 larger proportion of fat, and a much less one of nitrogenous 

 compounds, than is usually supposed. The whole question of 

 Animal Composition, however, as illustrated by the experiments 

 referred to, we hope to treat of separately, on some other occasion. 

 But, apart from the considerations involved in the question of the 

 varying composition of the Increase, or from the fact that our 

 own feeding experiments (which, so far as we are aware, are the 

 largest comparable series bearing upon the point), afford testi- 

 mony in the same direction, we think, that there is evidence of 

 another kind, of the general correctness and truth of the indi- 

 cations of practical experiments which have thus been objected 

 to. Thus, the comparative prices of the Leguminous seeds and 

 the Cereal grains, may be taken as some condemnation of the 

 measurement of their comparative feeding value, according to 

 their percentage of nitrogenous constituents. In matters of this 

 kind, indeed, especially when staple and generally-used articles 

 of food are concerned, the market is one of our shrewdest judges. 



While speaking of the comparative feeding values of the 

 Leguminous seeds and the Cereal grains, we may here casually 

 allude to some other points of much interest bearing upon this 

 question, and which are suggested by a consideration of the 

 general results of our feeding experiments, taken in connection 

 with those on the manuring and growth of our Leguminous and 

 Graminaceous corn and fodder crops. 



As a general rule it may be said, that, weight for weight, the 

 Leguminous seeds contain about twice as much of nitrogenous 

 compounds as the Cereal grains. We have elsewhere stated, 

 that, speaking generally, an acre of land, under equal circum- 

 stances of soil and season, will frequently yield twice or thrice 

 as much nitrogenous constituents in a Leguminous crop, as in a 

 Cereal gi^ain ; and again, that in the latter, an increase of produce 

 is not obtained by the use of nitrogenous manures, except at the 

 cost of more nitrogen so supplied in manure, than is contained 

 in the increase thus produced. How is it, we would ask, if this 

 be the case, and if really foods are valuable, at least for the 

 fattening of stock, in proportion to their richness in nitrogenous 

 constituents — how is it, we would ask, if this be case, that, ac- 

 cording to the usual state of the market, we could obtain for a 

 given sum about twice as much nitrogenous substance in the 

 Leguminous seeds as in the Cereal grains ? — or how is it, on the 

 other hand, that the Leguminous crop does not, much more than 

 is in fact the case, supersede the Cereal grain in the field, the 



