1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
2,m 
accord with, and conform to, all the circumstances 
of location, and relation The Estimate in 
detail provides for all work to be done in a substan- 
tial manner, of the usual materials. The exterior 
and interior wood finish is of clear piue lumber. 
Tlie Plastrriitg is hard-finished, on two coats of 
brown mortar. Appropriate Curnices, CeuLr.s, and 
Panels, in stucco, are intended for the hall, parlor, 
library, dining-room, and the two front chambers in 
the second story, fus-pijics are inserted in the 
frame-worli of the house, with connections arrang- 
ed for 37 attachments. These are easily put in dur- 
ing constmction, and even when the house is locat- 
ed far from any city or village having gas, there is 
strong probability that ere long we shall have con- 
venient apparatus for making and supplying gas to 
isolated dwellings PIui»biii{; is provided as 
described in the last Anicrk-ait Afjrk'iiUur'uit, except 
th.at the plumbing required for the butler's pantry 
is liere added. &Us are put in, with their wires 
running tlnrough zinc tubes concealed in the walla. 
Fig. .5.— I'i.A 
(JF iTTIC. 
The front-door pull leads to a gong in the kitchen. 
The dining-room has a bell leading to the school- 
room in the attic. Each chamber, in the second 
story, and the bath-room, has a bell leading to the 
kitchen, and the largest chamber has a bell leading 
to the attic. Sixtikinrj-tahes are provided for com- 
munication between the second story, hall, and 
bath-room, with the kitchen.. ..Painting;. — 
The body of the outside is in warm-gray ; the prin- 
cipal outside trimming in pure wliite, with thin 
separating lines iu light drab, and blinds in dark- 
bronze color. All wood, tin, and brick work, usu- 
ally painted, both inside and outside, has two coat3 
of the best lead and oil. All doors are grained — 
and all hard-wood, such as stair-rail, balusters, and 
door-saddles, are rubbed in oil. 
2K> ymds Fxrayation, ^.c 30c. per yard $01.^0 
aa.iilill hanl lirick, irj J;:i V 1000 Sss IX) 
6.UII0 pfiii- r.ii.k.® $".'.^ V iiiuii ai.iio 
Mat..'ri;ils tor Pi.istflilif:. ull'l L:itli 300.011 
70 U'-l Stone Steiis :uiil t.'Mpiii;^, Q 30c lil.OO 
Laboi' lor jiU tlie iiiasuii work (HiO.OO 
13..'^sreot 'riiiibel-, (^t "Jiic. piM- loot 2SH.30 
Tiz. 1 sill. 4i» ill. i-.MJ fl. long. IJ Posts, 4i8in. x.-.il ft. loiiu. 
1 Tie, 4lt;ill. IJS4 ft. luUK. 1 Plat.-, -1x6 in. .x 360 It. I'l;. 
2 PoatJ, 4xSln.x4;tt. long. lI'JBciims. :ixs in. xlC ft. rj>. 
2 Po?ts, 4x8 in. xl9ft. long. .'jti •' 8xK In. x.''2 ft, I'g 
1 l)i-ekPlate.3xSiii.xl5'>t*t.rg.3'J ** 3x8 in. xl'i ft. IV. 
6 Hips. 3x10 ill. X ■»!'(. long. 2S " Sx."* in. x s it, I'u. 
1 SHI. (Piiizzii) 4xT in. xll 1 ft. 8 " SxS in. xlS ft. Vs. 
1 i'late •■ 3x3 In. x 9ri ft. 52 ■■ ax'i In. xl3 ft. IV. 
1 Beam " 3x1! in. x liO ft. 1 " 2x7 In. x28 fl. I'g 
SOO .loist. 3x4 indies x 13 fc.-t lonp, (3 22c. each twl.ou 
3.-.0 Wall Strips. 2x4 inches xl3 feet long. O 16c. each.. 515.00 
92s tonjined and lii-oovud Sheathing boards for sides and 
loofs. rie 25f. each 2.3'.00 
SOO pounds 'i'ai-red Paper. (^ 5c. per lb 15 00 
663 Norclty clear Siding Hoards, la 30c. cacli 19s.9() 
416 feet main Cornicej, Watei Table, Corner Boards.. 416.00 
29S Squares of Tin Uoofliii:, (^ *lu per sijnare 295.00 
17 squ.ar.'s of Slate, (no opi-ninj^s allowed) at $10 p. sq. 170.00 
13 Cellar Windows, eoiiiplete, (§) |rj each .... ----- 
1 Bay Window complete 
30 w In. lows, llrst and second story, and Towef'coin' 
plele, (g)?17 each 
15 Dormer Window-, comp)cti!."rS>' };'is eiich!.'!!!! 
3 Pliizziis, (except tinning.) complete 
1 Balcony, (except tliinius.) complete.. 
1 Hood, (except tiiinlnc.j complete 
4S0 Klooring Hoards, li inch, ® 25c. each 
160 Flooring Boards, y-inch 
Stairs, complete WW 
14 Closets and I'antll-'S. complete 
60 Doors, complete.® il.i.-.'u each 
4 Marlile Mantels, complete 
Furnace, and Range, (set and piped,) tJonVliiete'.;.!'.'.'.; imM 
Plumbing, complete.. 30000 
Pabitihg ■.■.'.'.■" 400!00 
Carpenter's Labor, not included above 800.' 
Cartage, avertt;;e one mile "' 115,00 
156.00 
100.00 
510.00 
... 2*1.00 
... 400.00 
. . . 3-..00 
... .50.00 
... lao.Oii 
... 46.00 
... 200.00 
... 1311,00 
... 760.00 
. 120 
Total cost of luaterials and couBtructioa IS.OUO.W 
Science Applied to Farming.— VIIL 
Br PnoF. W. O. Atwatek, Wksleyan UNivERsiTr, 
Middlttoivn, Conn. 
Havius and waste in feediue:*— Value of 
NitruKen iu Food. 
Several farmers have written to me, and others 
have called at our laboratory to talk about the val- 
ue of nitrogenous foods for stock, and how to use 
them. And Mr. Harris in " Walks and Talks " for 
July, has almost thrown out a challenge for more 
experimental proof of some of the theories ad- 
vanced in this series of articles. This is quite fair 
and right. No theory is worthy of acceptance un- 
less it is based upon a solid groundwork of fact. 
Mr. Harris feeds his sheep all the straw and coni- 
fodder they will eat. But this is not rich enough 
to make them grow, or to fatten them as rapidly as 
he would like. " Now," says Mr. Harris, " what the 
straw and cornstalks lack, is nitrogen (albumin- 
oids). To supply this, then, I should add materials 
rich in nitrogen, and since beans, peas, and malt 
sprouts contain about twice as much albuminoids 
as corn, they ought, if this theory be correct, to 
have double the value of corn for this purpose." 
But Mr. Harris has his doubts on this point, and 
wants to know " whether it has been really proved 
by actual experiments, that, in such a case as I 
mention, peas or beans are much more valuable 
than Indian coru?" 
1 am not aware of any experiments to test this 
special question. This is indeed one of the many 
problems for the solution of which Experiment Sta- 
tions in this country are much needed. The evidence 
now .at our disposal is rather of the cumulative kind, 
and is involved in certain general principles for 
which we have a great deal of experimental proof. 
One of these general principles is this : Economy 
in feeding requires that the rations contain food in- 
gredients — albuminoids, carbo-hydrates, fats, etc.^ 
in such proportion as corresjiond to the specific de- 
mands of the animals ; otherwise there will be 
waste. This has been shown by many scries of ex- 
periments in the European Stations. The follow- 
ing, performed under the direction of Prof. Honne- 
berg, at Weende, in Germany, is an example : Two 
oxen, in good, moderately fat condition, at rest in 
the stall, wore fed with rations such as were found 
to keep them in the same uniform condition, as 
shown by the scales. A certain ration, (I), was fed 
for a certain period, the weight of the animals and 
the amount and composition of footl and excrement 
determined I)y accurate weighings and analyses. 
At the end of the period the food was changed, and 
another experiment, (H), begun, and so on through 
six months with eight sets of experiments. 
Table IS gives the rations fed out during six 
periods of the series, describing the materials of 
which each daily ration was composed, the amounts 
of nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous materials it 
contained, and the ratio of these to e.ach other. 
The cost of each ration is also added. The prices 
at Weende, in gold, at the time, being for clover hay 
about SS.oO per ton ; for oat and rye straw, S5.50 
per ton ; and for turnips, S2.15 per ton ; and for 
rape cakes, SI. 07 per ewt. 
Table 13. 
Daily r.-vriox per 1,000 lbs. 
OF LIVK \\E1QI1T op THH 
Akiuals. 
fl) 17.5 Tbs. clover hay 
(II) 11.4 Ihs. oat straw, 43.6 lbs. 
turnips 
(III) 12. G lbs. oat straw, 25.6 lbs. 
turnips. 1 Ih. rape cakes... 
8.7 ins. clover hay, 13 fts. oat 
straw, ,56 lb, rape cakes,,. 
2.6 His. clover hay. 14.2 lbs. 
oat straw, .52 lb, rape cakes 
(VI) 3,8 lbs. clover hay, 13,3 lbs, 
ryft straw, .571b.i'apecakes 
(IV) 
(V) 
Con- 
tnining 
39 1 
9.131 
7.771 
.99,7.16 1 
.91 7,20 1 
.99 6.82 1 
to 3.8 9^0. 
to 10.5 lOKc. 
to 8.5' 8)ic. 
to 7,2 7 0. 
to 7.9 6KC. 
to 6, a' 7 e. 
Looking down along the first column of figures 
we Dotic(i that ratiou (I; contained nearly ~. lbs,, 
(1.95 lbs.), of nitrogenous substance, while the 
others cont.iincd generally about »/io lb. The '/lo 
lb. of albuminoids iu the other rations was suffl- 
cieut. The clover hay ration served the animal no 
better than the others, and the extra pound of ni- 
trogenous matei-ial was then, for maintenance of the 
animals, superfluous. So iu ration (II) we have 
the other extreme ; an appropriate amount of nitro- 
genous material, but, as the column shows, 9.13 
lbs. of non-nitrogenous material. The other figures 
in the second column, indicate that the other ra- 
tions averaged about 7' \ lbs. of carbo-hydrates, and 
the oxen showed by their keeping in good condi- 
tion that this was enough. In (II), therefore, 
nearly two pounds of non-nitrogenous matters were 
not utilized, that is, they were wasted. We find, 
then, that about ',,0 lb. of albuminoids and 7'/4 
lbs. of carbo-hydrates sufficed to keep the oxen iu 
good condition. 
Could anything be more convincing than this? 
The oxen are in good condition, and hold their own 
with their rations of straw, to which enough clover 
hay and rape-cakes are added, to make "/to 'b- o' 
.albuminoids, and 7r lbs. carbo-hydrates. When 
enough turnips are added to the straw to make 9.13 
lbs. of carbo-hydrates, (II), or when 17.5 lbs. of 
clover hay, with 1.95 lbs. of .albuminoids, (I), was 
used, they did no better. Duting the course of 
the experiments, they did, in fact, gain a very 
little in weight, but this gain was too slight to be 
of any account, and was more perceptible with the 
other rations than with I and II, — From the fact 
that this excess either of albuminoids or carbo- 
hydrates, was without effect upon the production, 
which iu this case could, to be sure, be nothing but 
increase of live weight, we infer that for each 1,000 
lbs. Uve weight, a ration containing '/n, lb. albumin- 
oids and "',4 lbs. of carbo-hydrates, was an econom- 
ical one for the oxen at rest in the stall. The cost 
of rations (III-VI) containing the food ingredients 
in these proportions, averaged 7= Z, cents. The 
clover hay, with its excess of albuminoids, coot 
lO'/i cents, or 40 per cent more, and that of straw 
and turnips, 9Vi cents, or 34 per cent more. 
In the above calculation not the digestible but 
the total amount of albuminoids was taken into 
account. The ratio of actually digested albumi- 
noids to carbo-hydrates, would probably be about 1 
to 12. — This is only one of many series of experi- 
ments of this kind, that have been made at Weende 
and elsewhere, all of which agree in indicatinc that 
in food for oxen at rest in the stall, there should 
be about 1- lb. of digestible albuminoids to every 
13 lbs. of digestible carbo-hydrates. And when the 
ratio varies widely from this, there is waste. 
More about Nitrogen Ratios and E^coiiomjr 
in FocUleriiig. 
The above experiments were made with animals 
from which no production was required, either In 
the form of work, or milk, or increase of weight 
iu fattening. But other experiments show that 
oxen at work, milch cows, and fattening cattle, 
require food richer in nitrogen. Thus, for example, 
it is found that for milch cows, about 1 lb. of di- 
gestible albuminoids, to 5'/... lbs. of digestible carbo- 
hydrates, is the economical ratio. And when the 
ratio varies widely from this, there is apt to be 
waste. This is illustrated by some experiments 
with milch cows, made by Dr. Kuehn, at the Station 
at Moeckern, in Saxony. 
The custom of feeding cows on green clover was 
common about Moeckern. But clover is very rich, 
while straw is poor, in nitrogen. How would it do 
to mix the two? Further, the question of ad 
libitum foddering, (that is, giving the animals all 
they will eat), was much discussed. Some said the 
cows themselves were the best judges of their 
wants. Others claimed they would eat more of 
such palatable food, as clover, than they would 
profitably utilize. — To test these questions, a feed- 
ing trial was made with four cows. During one 
period of several weeks, they received all the green 
clover they would eat. During another, a smaller 
ration was given, and a part of the clover was re- 
placed by straw. The fodder and milk were care- 
fully weighed and analyzed. Every precaution 
