French Experimental Farm at Vaujours. 
307 
La Guerdic, a first-class hay in the Paris market. The results 
were as loUows : — 
llay from Hay from 
r.iimbcEuf. La Guerche. 
Water 12-55 
Phosphates and other mineral salts .. 7'75 
Woody fibre and cellulose 24-50 
Saccharine and starchy matter, &c. .. 4()-23 
Albuminous substances 7-12 
Fatty matter 1'85 
11-95 
(j-()8 
2(i-90 
45-73 
6-94 
1-80 
100-00 100-00 
Nitrogen 1-44 .. I'll 
In these analyses, M. Moll remarks, " I will only call attention 
to the nitrogfcn which they severally contain. The nitroj^en in 
the highly-esteemed hay of La Guerche appears to amount only 
to 57 per cent, of that contained in our first piece, and 38 per 
cent, of the third piece ; nevertheless stock are very fond of this 
ha}', and it seems to suit them well. 
" Are, then, chemists mistaken in pointing out nitrogen as one 
of the most important elements of nutrition ? I think not ; but 
only believe that rye-grass — the chief constituent in our hay — 
either is a substance unpalatable to stock, or that it has properties 
unfavourable to mastication. The latter hypothesis is probably 
the true one ; a man need only look at its limp but likewise 
tough and harsh stems, to understand why stock do not like it." 
In conclusion, M. Moll remarks on the economical result, that 
though the dressing was applied undiluted — a most objectionable 
proceeding in summer, particularly such a dry, hot summer as 
1858 — each ton of the dressing produced an increase of 2 cwt. 
of hay. Since, then, each ton cost, everything included, 2s., and 
the 2 cwt. of hay were worth from 4s. 2d. to 5s., the gain was 
clear, particularly if the manifest effect of the dressing on the 
crops of the next year be taken into account. 
This experiment and these observations will be read with 
interest by those who can recall to mind Professor Voelcker's 
remarks, in connexion with his lecture on Sewage, to the effect 
that an excess of nitrogen in a crop rather indicated want of 
maturity than a higher feeding value. 
An experiment intended to contrast the effects of farmyard 
manure, of "soil," and of rape-cake, on the growth of oats, 
brought out one or two remarkable facts. It was intended to 
furnish to each plot, under a different form, an equal quantity of 
nitrogen ; but the yard manure applied was that made by sheep, 
wintered chiefly upon hay, and littered with straw, and it was 
rather hastily assumed that it would have the same composition 
as ordinary farmvard manure : but that there might be no uncer- 
X 2 
