390 
Compo.sitioii of the Yellow Lupine, 
to the notice of tlie occupiers of light sandy soils. This recom- 
mendation has not l)een made in vain ; and I have now the 
pleasure of communicating the results of an experimental trial 
undertaken by my friend and former pupil, Mr. James Kimber, 
of Tubney Warren, Oxfordshire. 
At my request, and in answer to many (questions relating to 
the cultivation, and practical feeding value of lupines, the charac- 
ter of his land, &c., Mr. Kimber has kindly addressed to me a 
letter, which contains much valuable information on these and 
a few other topics interesting to the practical agriculturist. 
I make no apology for appending to this paper Mr. Kimber's 
interesting communication, assured that it will be read with plea- 
sure and profit by many who have to deal with poor, sandy 
land, on which clover will not grow even once in eight years, 
turnips either fail altogether or become affected by anbury and 
fingers-and-toes, and on which it is next to impossible to grow 
a fair average corn-crop. 
The detailed account given by Mr. Kimber relieves me of 
the necessity of myself describing the experimental trial. But 
I may observe that the trial was intended to test the comparative 
merits of lupines as a green food and as a crop grown for the 
sake of its seed. 
Unfortunately the dry weather at the time of sowing in the 
spring, and the subsequent cold and wet summer, so much re- 
tarded the blossoms that all hope of carrying out the experi- 
ments as originally intended had to be given up. The seeds of 
the lupine ripen very unequally, especially in wet seasons, when 
it is not unusual to see almost ripe seed-pods and yellow blossoms 
on the same plant. Though a quantity of ripe seed-pods were 
gathered, yet by far the larger portion of the plants did not ripen 
their seed this season, and therefore the experiment was neces- 
sarily confined to testing the feeding value of the green lupines, 
as well as this could be done in one season, by weighing the 
produce in green food, and ascertaining its chemical compo- 
sition. 
The lupine plants submitted to analysis were cut down on the 
24th of September. They were nearly 4 feet high and full of 
yellow blossoms. The lower part of the central stem was hard 
and woody, so much so that sheep would not have eaten it. The 
tops were quite soft and succult ''■ and there were plenty of 
leaves and tender side-shoots on the 
It appeared to me desirable to ascertain by '^''^n 
of the ])lants which would probably be rejected by ca....- 
that likely to be consumed by them. 
1 therefore detached the leaves and soft tops from the woody 
