Olid n Soil snifnhlc to its Cnltnro, 
303 
civcumstances. It is well known that the clioinical and pliysical 
condition of the soil has a niifjlity influence on the nutritive 
qualities of the crops raised upon it. In like manner the kind 
and amount of manure applied to the land tend to modifv the 
composition of the produce, and with it its nutritive properties. 
And, finally, it ought not to be forgotten that the past summer 
was unusually wet and cold, and consequently decidedly un- 
favourable to till proper ripening of the herbage and the abun- 
dant formation of sugar, whilst it contributed, no doubt, to an 
unusually large proportion of water in all green food. 
We have yet to learn to what extent the composition of lupines 
is affected by our changeable climate, by the soil, time of 
cutting down, Si.c. (Sec, before a generally conect opinion can 
be expressed as regards their value as green food. 
It is well to bear in mind especially that the amount of water 
in every description of vegetable produce varies immensely with 
the circumstances under which it is raised. Thus I find the per- 
centage of water in swedes varying from 86 to 91 per cent. ; in 
turnips, from 87 to 94 per cent. ; in mangolds, from 85 to 90 per cent, 
A chemist analysing a particular swede and finding the amount 
of water in that root to be 91 per cent., and also analysing a turnip 
and finding only 88 per cent, of water in this turnip, and not 
knowing the fluctuation in the amount of water and dry matter to 
which both roots are liable, might thus incautiously derive from 
these analyses the conclusion that turnips are more nutritious than 
swedes. In the same manner a farmer who one year consumes 
unusually good turnips, and the next, poor swedes, containing it 
may be 91 per cent, of water, might arrive precisely at the same 
opinion as the analyst. But what is perfectly true in particular 
instances does not apply to the vast majority of cases ; we must 
therefore beware of deducing general conclusions from isolated facts. 
In green food more especially the amount of water, and also 
that of other constituents, varies considerably. Thus in the 
analyses of one and the same kind of clover, lucerne, and sain- 
foin, as recorded by Professor Way, Dr. Anderson, and myself, 
we meet with the following differences : — 
Percentage of Water in 
FrcBh State. 
Percentage of Flesh-furminK 
Matters in Dry State. 
Highest. 
Lowest. 
Highest. 
Lowest. 
Red Clover — ^Trifollum pratense 
Cow-grass — Trifolium medium 
White Clover — Trifolium repens 
Lucerne— Medicago sativa.. 
Sainfoin—Onobrychis sativa , . 
85-30 
(Anderson.) 
81-76 
(4ndcrson.) 
83-65 
(Voelcker.) 
80-13 
(Anderson,) 
77-32 
(Voelcker.) 
79-98 
(Anderson.) 
•74- 10 
OVay.) 
79-71 
OVay.) 
69-95 
(Way.) 
76-64 
(Way,) 
22-194 
(Way.) 
20-9G8 
(Way.) 
27-31 
(Voelcker.) 
16-50 
(Voelcker.)' 
18-17 
(\Vay.) 
12-46 
(Anderson.) 
10-19 
(Anderson.) 
18-45 
(Way.) 
1-2-50 
(Way.) 
15-50 
(Voelcker.) 
