384 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
NUTRITIVE VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD. 
The following table, condensed from the Gardener’s 
Chronicle, gives the value of different kinds of food, as 
deduced from theory, and from the practical observations 
of several eminent agriculturists. The comparison is 
interesting, and shows in some cases the near coincidence 
between theory and experiment, and in others the wide 
departure in their results. The table also exhibits the 
the quantity of water in each substance, and the propor¬ 
tion of nitrogen entering into its composition. 
It will be observed, as a reason of the discrepancy 
often noticed, that on different animals, and on different 
classes of animals, the same amount of food may give very 
different results, some animals being more affected by 
certain kinds of food than others. It must also be re¬ 
membered that the same kind of food varies in nutritive 
value, with soil, climate, season, culture, mode of feed¬ 
ing, as ground or unground, and other controlling causes. 
The nutritive equivalent is the quantity required of 
each substance to afford nourishment equal to 100 lbs. of 
common natural meadow hay. 
Different kinds of Food . 
Water per cent. 
Nitrogen percent. 
Substance dry. 
Nitrogen per cent' 
before dried. 
NUTRITIVE EQUIVALENT ACCORDING TO 
Theory. 
Block. 
Petri. 
Meyer. 
Thaer. 
Pabst. 
Flottow. 
Pohl. 
Crud. 
Weber. 
Dombasle. 
Common Natural Meadow Hay,... 
11.0 
1.34 
1.15 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
100 
Ditto, of very choice quality,. 
14.0 
1.50 
1.30 
98 
18 8 
2 40 
2.00 
58 
108 
100 
100 
16.6 
L 66 
1.38 
83 
90 
90 
100 
90 
90 
90 
10.1 
1.70 
1.54 
75 
* 100 
70 
90 
100 
90 
Ditto. Green. 
76.0 
9.64 
3'1 
430 
450 
425 
500 
450 
New Wheat-Straw,.... . 
26.0 
0.36 
0.27 
426 
200 
360 
150 
450 
300 
175 
Old Wheat-Straw,. 
8.5 
0.53 
0.49 
235 
Oat-Straw,. 
21.0 
0.36 
0.30 
383 
200 
200 
150 
190 
200 
175 
150 
Barley-Straw,. 
11.0 
0.30 
0.25 
460 
193 
180 
150 
150 
200 
175 
Pea-Straw,. 
8.5 
1.95 
1.79 
64 
165 
200 
150 
130 
150 
200 
’*90 
Mangold-Wurzel leaves,. 
88.9 
4.50 
0.50 
280 
600 
600 
600 
Hearted Cabbages,. 
92.3 
3./0 
0.28 
411 
556 
500 
250 
429 
600 
600 
.... 
500 
Ruta-Bagas,. 
91.0 
1.83 
1.17 
676 
300 
300 
250 
.... 
350 
Common Turneps,. 
92.5 
1.70 
0.13 
885 
533 
600 
‘290 
526 
450 
500 
525 
525 
500 
Mangold Wurzel,. 
87.8 
1.70 
0.21 
548 
366 
400 
250 
460 
250 
300 
255 
.... 
261 
White Silesian Beet, 
85.6 
1.43 
0.18 
669 
220 
Carrots,. 
87.6 
2.40 
0.30 
382 
366 
250 
225 
300 
250 
266 
260 
266 
307 
Potatoes,... 
75.9 
1.50 
0.36 
319 
216 
200 
150 
200 
200 
250 
200 
210 
187 
Field Beans, (English,). 
7.9 
5.50 
5.11 
23 
30 
54 
50 
73 
40 
. . . . 
50 
White Peas, dried,. 
8.6 
4.20 
3.84 
27 
30 
54 
48 
66 
40 
47 
Kidney Beans, (White,). 
5.0 
4.30 
4.58 
25 
39 
New Indian-corn,. 
18.0 
2.00 
1.64 
70 
.... 
52 
Buckwheat,. 
12.5 
2.40 
2.10 
55 
64 
Barley, 
13.2 
2.02 
1.76 
65 
”33 
61 
53 
76 
50 
47 
Oats,.. 
20.8 
2.20 
1.74 
68 
71 
86 
60 
50 
Rye,.. 
11.5 
1.70 
1.50 
77 
”33 
55 
”51 
71 
50 
”44 
38 
Wheat,. 
10.5 
2.33 
2.09 
55 
27 
52 
46 
64 
40 
Fresh bran,.... 
37.1 
2.18 
1.36 
85 
105 
WH pq f , .... 
7.6 
0.94 
0.85 
135 
160 
175 
/TiinQPPil ^ 
13 4 
6.00 
5.20 
22 
42 
108 
57 
Rice, (Piedmont,). 
13.4 
1.39 
1.20 
96 
From the above practical results 
, we have taken the 
Mean of expr’s. 
Theory. 
0*7 
mean, of several of the most important articles. 
, from 
Peas,. 
41 
27 
which our readers will see at a glance the average re¬ 
Indian Corn,... 
52 
CO 
70 
sults of all the experiments, and which will be interest-. 
Do 
oo 
ing as well as very valuable, as affording 
a comparison 
Of 
Oo 
of the value of the various substances. We have also 
w neat, ... 
4b 
10 
placed alongside the equivalent, according to theory, to 
which the results of the experiments sometimes approach 
quite near, and at other times are quite remote. The 
whole, however, cannot fail to throw light on the sub¬ 
ject; tor though strict accuracy cannot be expected where 
so many causes must combine to vary the results, yet a 
tolerable approximation for comparison, is doubtless in 
nearly every case attained 
Hay,. 
Mean of exp’s. 
. 100 
Theory 
100 
Lucerne,. 
83 
Red clover hay,... 
75 
New Wheat-straw 
(variable,) 272 
426 
Oat-straw,. 
383 
Barley-straw,. 
. 175 
460 
Pea-straw,. 
64 
Cabbages,... 
411 
Ruta-bagas,. 
. 300 
676 
Common turneps, . 
885 
Mangold Wurzel,. 
548 
Carrots,. 
382 
Potatoes,.. 
319 
LIGHTNING CULTURE. 
Much interest has been excited by the experiments of 
Dr. Foster in Scotland, to show the influence of atmos¬ 
pheric electricity on the growth of plants. James Cowie 
and two distinguished farmers called on the Doctor, and 
the result of their examination is given in the London 
Gardener’s Chronicle. Not finding the proprietor at home, 
they made inquiries of a young man, a servant on the 
farm, who, on being asked if the crops were better where 
the poles and wires were placed, than on the rest of the 
field, answered ,— i( Weel, the crop sud be better, consid¬ 
erin’ the additional pickle dung it got beside the wires, 
but that he could not say there was any difference observ 
able.” 
Productive Apple-tree — The Germantown (Pa.) 
Telegraph states, that there is an apple-tree near that 
place, which has repeatedly borne over hundred bushels 
of apples at one crop. 
