132 
British Dairy Farming. 
The nitrogenous material in the maize, 830 lbs., equals about 
133 lbs. of nitrogen. Assuming that a lb. of beef, live-weight, 
contains 15 grains of nitrogen, it would appear that the nitrogen 
in an acre of maize, yielding 20 tons, is equal to the production 
of 436 lbs. of beef ; but naturally this would only be in case 
the food were used in a properly balanced ration, the maize 
according to the above being in the ratio of 1 to 4*19. M. 
Lecouteux pursues this enquiry further, and upon the basis of 
the calculations of M. Crevat, he takes the case of a young beast 
of a precocious feeding breed, which is fed for high production 
of meat from its birth until slaughtered at the age of 20 months, 
when it is assumed to weigh 1170 lbs., this result being brought 
about by the consumption of 6J tons of hay, or its equivalent. 
For every 100 lbs. of nitrogenous matter consumed in this food, 
it has returned 85f lbs. of meat, so that replacing the hay by 
maize of the giant variety, yielding 864 lbs. of nitrogenous 
matter per acre, which is slightly greater than the quantity esti- 
mated above, we get a result of 740 lbs. of beef. Although, as 
the French savant has assumed the maximum in his calculations 
in this instance, it is scarcely a typical case, yet it is a valuable 
instance, as showing the capacity of the maize plant under given 
conditions. Coming to the production of milk, and again taking 
a return of 20 tons of maize, yielding roughly, for more conve- 
nient calculation, 800 lbs. of nitrogenous matter per acre, it 
follows that if 1 lb. of nitrogenous matter yields 5*65 lbs. of milk, 
we get per acre 4520 lbs. of milk, equal to 440 gallons.* Again, 
if as shown by M. Crevat a ton of good haj^, with a well-balanced 
ratio containing 190 lbs. of nitrogenous matter, produces 107 
gallons of milk, then 15J cwt,, which is the annual average 
yield of a hectare of the various forage crops grown by M. 
Lecouteux, would produce 1074 gallons of milk, and 146 lbs. 
of veal or beef to the live-weight of 811 lbs. This result in 
English measure would mean 430 gallons of milk and a calf 
per acre. These calculations must be taken in connection with 
* Thus althougli maize i.s a heavy and valuable feeding-crop, it is deficient in 
nitrogen, and to obtain a sufficient and much larger quantity than most cows can 
conveniently cat would be requisite. If, however, we add 2 lbs. of decorticated 
cottou-cake, we get the following results, a valuable ratio, and a sufficiency of 
solids for almost all ordinary cows : — 
Albuminoids. 
Fat. 
Carbo-hydrates. 
1-45 
■GO 
12 
•82 
•10 
•42 
2-27 
•70 
12-42 
15^39 
