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1 Ave., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 247 
From the analyses given, we also learn what crops of these various grasses 
take from the soil For the sake of comparison, [ give in a third column 
figures quoted in Warington’s “Chemistry of the Farm” as the composition 
of an ordinary crop (13 tons per acre) of meadow hay. 
Paspalum Ordinary Meadow 
dilatatum. Pasture. Hay. 
Lb. per acre. 
Nitrogen ... el Sec e 3 AK a ne. 56 . 30 49 
Potash _... ave ag ie ie 6 Ys 72 12 51 
Soda =e = at: at dees pie. wt 49 10 9 
Lime 4: iy: a: 4 et cb it 16 8 32 
Magnesia ... a ay = ae at aD 13 9 14 
Phosphoric acid ... Ts $33 3! 4 tr. 22 10 12 
When studying the analyses of the grasses, it has to be kept in mind that 
not the whole of the various constituents is digested by the animals. The 
digestion again of the various animals differs considerably, as already pointed 
out in an earlier article on the “Composition of Foods” (August number of 
Vol. I. of this. Journal). For’ instance, ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) 
digest of ordinary meadow hay 57 per cent. of the nitrogenous substances, 53 per 
cent. of the fat, 64 per cent. of the soluble carbo-hydrates, and 60 per cent. of the 
fibre (Warington—‘‘ Chemistry of the Farm,” page 119). Horses, again, digest 
of ordinary meadow hay 57 per cent. of the nitrogenous substances, 24 per 
cent. of the fat, 55 per cent. of soluble carbo-hydrates, and 36 per cent. of the 
fibre (Lbid., page 122). 
Jt would be of great interest and value if similar complete analyses would 
be made of other varieties of grasses taken from different parts of the State 
and grown at different times of the year. 
DECIMAL COINAGE. 
Whilst other civilised nations, almost without exception, have adopted 
the decimal system of coinage, weights and measures, the British still maintain 
the old cumbrous, complicated notation. For farmers especially the decimal 
system is admirably adapted, although we recognise that the introduction of 
new weights and measures would be attended with inconvenience and much 
cost. But no difficulty could arise in the case of coinage, taking the sovereign 
as the unit of value, which is the foundation of commercial transactions over 
the greater portion of the business world. 
The change could be effected by merely issuing two extra silver coins and 
doing away with the threepenny bit. Instead of the present nomenclature of 
pounds, shillings, and pence, under the new system we should have pounds, 
florins, and mils. 
Suppose the pound sterling to be worth 1,000 mils, the half-sovereign 
would represent 500 mils; the five-shilling piece or crown, 250 mils; the half- 
crown, 125 mils; the florin, 100 mils; the shilling, 50 mils; the sixpence, 25 
mils. We now come to the threepenny piece, the penny, halfpenny, and 
farthing. These names should be done away with. ‘Then the penny would 
become 4 mils; the halfpenny, 2 mils; and the farthing, 1 mil. The present 
farthing is 535th of £, but in the new issue it would represent the yo5oth 
part of £. ‘Two new coins would be needed under this scheme—the silver 
10 mils and 20 mils pieces. 
Now, let us see how such a change would be beneficial to the community 
at large, and more especially to the farmer. A uniform standard of weights 
and measures would be needed to bring out the full simplicity of the system ; 
but, even without this, the advantages must be manifest in the reduction of the 
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