"These analyses show," observes Professor Johnston," that the fibre leaves only one-third of the quantity of ash which is left by the whole potato, and that this ash consists chiefly of lime in the state of carbonate and of phosphate. It appears, therefore, that the alkaline matter of the potato exists chiefly in the sap, while the phosphate of lime is principally attached, in an insoluble state, to the fibre." In feeding, therefore, with potatoes, calves would be most benefited by the fibre, while the sap might be most useful to milk cows.

1259. The quality of nutritive matter derived from a crop of potatoes of 6 tons, or 13,500 lbs., or about 25 bolls per acre, is as follows,-540 lbs. of husk or woody fibre; 2,400 lbs. of starch, sugar, &c. ; 270 lbs. of gluten, &c.; 45 lbs. of oil or fat; and 120 lbs. of saline matter.

1260. On comparing the nutritive properties in the solid matter of the potato with other roots, it is found that the potato and yellow turnip do not differ much, though the advantage is on the side of the turnip, but that the mangold-wurtzel exceeds the potato in protein compounds in the ratio of 15 to 9. "This is a very important fact," remarks Professor Johnston," and is deserving of further investigation. If, as at present supposed, the protein compounds serve the purpose, when eaten, of supplying to animals the materials of their muscle, the mangold-wurtzel ought to be considerably superior to the potato in this respect. Even in their natural state this should be the case, since 100 lbs. of the mangold-wurtzel contain, of these protein compounds, 24, while the potato contains on an average only 2 lbs. It is to be desired, therefore, that the mangold-wurtzel should be more generally cultivated, wherever circumstances are favourable to its growth."*

1261. Linseed.-The seed of the flax plant, or linseed, has long been known by farmers to be a very nutritious substance; as well as one that may be used to advantage in certain complaints of cattle, as a safe and efficacious medicine. The whole seed boiled soft, and, together with the water in which it has been boiled, is given in many parts of the country as a cordial drink to cows after calving, and as a tonic to promote recovery after an illness. But, like all seeds having a strong envelope, when administered in a whole state, even on being boiled, is apt to pass through the digestive organs of ruminating animals unaltered. To derive all its nutrient property, it should be used only when bruised or converted into meal. In the form of meal it has long been used, after being boiled into a porridge or jelly, as an assistant food to milk for the older calves, until they are weaned. Linseed meal, when boiled and used hot, forms also an excellent poultice for the drawing of any sore that may affect an animal.

637-98.

cannot be ascertained, as a considerable quantity of it is manufactured in this country by the oilcrushers. The English oil-cake bears the highest price in the market, seldom under £11 per ton; and of the foreign, that from Flensburg in Schleswig is most in repute, and sells at from £9 to £10 per ton. There is no doubt that foreign oil-cake is adulterated with the husks of other seeds; and yet no sufficient motive exists for doing this, since the cake is formed when the oil is compressed-unless, indeed, other oil-producing seeds are purposely mixed with the linseed, for adulterating the linseed oil. It seems to me an impossible process to break down pure linseed-cake, and, after mixing it with the husks of other seeds, to compress it again into a solid cake. The oil, therefore, must be adulterated before the cake; and, in that case, the purchasers of foreign linseed oil for feeding cattle would be as much imposed on as when purchasing foreign cake-unless the oil of other seeds is as nutritious as linseed oil, in which case, by a parity of reasoning, the husks of those seeds ought to be as nutritious as those of the linseed. The matter is then brought to this, that the feeder must either purchase pure linseed or raise it for himself.

phosphate than the animals can use, which therefore must pass away into the dunghill; the oil is in larger quantity than can be appropriated, and must also find its way into the dunghill; and as full-grown animals scarcely appropriate any of the phosphates, when oil-cake is given them to fatten, these will all pass into the dunghill.*

1270. The valuable property of oil-cake, then, is its containing a large proportion of the phosphates. From the consideration of this property, Professor Johnston has recommended a mixture which contains all the ingredients found by analysis in oil-cake, and which, theoretically, ought to produce similar results; but these can only be ascertained by experiment. If such a mixture could be made at less cost than the price of oil-cake, it would be the farmer's interest to use it, instead of taking the trouble of seeking and paying for oil-cake; and if it could be manufactured into the form of durable cakes, it might be transmitted to any part of the country. The mixture is this:

English

American linsced-cake. linseed-cake.

Protein compounds

Fat

10.05

10:07

Saline matter

39.10

36.25

Water and husk

22.14

22.26

11.93

12.38

9.53

12.69

7.25

6.35

1271. It seems to me extremely doubtful that any such mixture can be made so low in price as to come seriously into competition in the market with oil-cake, because oil-cake will be made, whether or not it can be sold at a high price, as long as oil shall be crushed from seed; and if a high price cannot be obtained for the cake, the oil-crushers will take any price for it rather than keep it. The high price of cake either keeps the price of oil lower than it would be, or gives a higher profit to the oil-crushers. Should the price of oil remain as it is, after farmers shall have manufactured mixtures at home for feeding their cattle, it will show that oil-cake has hitherto realised extravagant prices, which I have long suspected to be the case, as I cannot understand why an article that must be made at all events, should realise in a public market so large a price as £10 per ton, unless the demand for it was inordinate.

1272. The importation of oil-cake from abroad

Alkaline salts

was:

Taking this average quantity, and assuming the

In 1842

1843

1844

1845

Average of the 4 years

1280. A bushel of draff weighs about 46 lbs. and costs from 3d. to 34d. Albumen can be obtained cheaper in oil-cake, but the draff affords the phosphates more economically.

1281. Draff is best used as food when accompanied with other substances, such as turnips, oil-cake, or beans.

1282. Barley Sprouts or Comins." When barley begins to sprout," says Professor Johnston, "it throws its roots immediately outwards from the one extremity, while the young germ (acrospire) proceeds beneath the husk towards the upper extremity of the grain. The maltster arrests the growth before the young germ escapes from the husk; and when he dries his malt, the young root falls off in considerable quantity. They are known by the name of barley sprouts or comins, and are employed both as a manure and in the feeding of cattle."

1284. Comins are thus rich in alkaline salts and phosphoric acid, and silica, and may therefore be advantageously employed, both as food for animals and a manure to plants.*

1285. Malt. Of late years a desire has been expressed by some agriculturists to have the duty taken off malt,-to have the excise restrictions, in fact, removed from the manufacture of this commodity, that they may be enabled to malt their own barley for the purpose of feeding live stock. If this restriction should ever be removed, which I have no doubt will be whenever the necessities of the public revenue allow it, it is interesting to inquire into the changes effected in barley in the process of malting, and thus to ascertain whether barley is really rendered more nutritious by malting, as seems to be the general impression amongst feeders of stock.

1287. As regards the comparative nutritive power of barley, when converted into malt, Dr Thomson observes, that "The quantity of nitrogen in different parts of the same sample of malt varies very remarkably-indeed to such a degree that the results obtained by three analysts, who had obtained almost identical numbers for the nitrogen in barley, differed as much as from 1.19 to 162. This, indeed, is a circumstance which might be anticipated, from the nature of the process of malting, and is one which renders malt a very objectionable substance as an article of nourishment, since, in the same specimen, different portions would vary so much, according to the preceding data, as that 73 lbs. of one part would produce as much effect in the nourishment of an animal as 100 lbs. of another portion. So that the nutritive powers of barley

1289. The loss sustained by barley in malting may, perhaps, be stated as follows:Water Saline matter Organic matter

6.00

0.48

12.52

19.00+

1290. Barley-meal.-Barley, when reduced to meal, is used in the feeding of stock, and especially of pigs. Whole grains of barley are boiled in water as a mash for horses. I haye just given the composition of both barley and malt, and shall now state the quantity of nutritive matter afforded by an acre of land, from a crop of barley producing 40 bushels per acre:- -40 bushels, weighing 2100 lbs., gives of husk or woody fibre 315 lbs. ; starch, sugar, &c. 1260 lbs. ; gluten, &c. from 250 lbs. to 310 lbs.; oil or fat from 42 lbs. to 63 lbs.; and 60 lbs. of saline matter.‡

1291. Oats.-Oats are seldom given to animals as food in the form of meal, but horses are greatly supported, during most part of the year, on the grain of oats, while the meal is used by the labouring people of the farm. The quantity of nutritive matter afforded by an acre of land, from a crop of oats producing 50 bushels per acre, is as follows:-50 bushels, weighing 2100 lbs., give 420 lbs. of husk or woody fibre; 1050 lbs. of starch; from 290 lbs. to 400 lbs. of gluten, &c.; from 75 lbs. to 150 lbs. of oil or fat, and 80 lbs. of saline matter. §

§ Ibid.