Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/248

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AGRICULTURE

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Table XXX.—Average Composition, Per Cent, and Per Ton, of Cattle Foods. Per Cent. PhosPhosMineral Potash. phoric Foods. Nitrogen. NitroPotash. phoric Dry Matter Acid. gen. Matter. Acid. (Ash). lb lb lb Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. 3034-50 80-64 1-37 14-00 36 90-00 1. Linseed 3144-80 106-40 1265 47 885 2. Linseed cake 44-80 69-44 147-84 23-10 70 3. Decorticated cotton 6-60 900 cake. 11-20 26-88 56-00 0-50 1-20 3-60 25 910 4. Palm-nut cake 44-80 44-80 84-00 2-00 2-00 5. Undecorticated cotton | 6-00 37 87-00 cake. 44-80 31-36 76T6 2-00 16-00 34 90-00 33-60 6. Cocoa-nut cake 56-00 109-76 1-50 27-50 49 890 7. Rape cake 21 -50 19-04 80-64 0-96 0-85 25 36 85-00 8. Peas 29-12 24-64 89-60 1-30 1-10 30 40 85-00 9. Beans. 15-68 16-80 94-08 0-70 0-75 40 4-20 88-00 10. Lentils. 17-92 17-92 94-08 0-80 0-80 2-50 4-20 84-00 11. Tares (seed). 8-29 13-44 38-08 0-37 0-60 1-40 1-70 88-00 12. Maize. 1119-04 40*32 0-53 0-85 17 1-80 850 13. Wheat. 11-20 17-92 38-08 0-50 0-80 25 1-70 94-00 14. Malt 1216-80 36-96 0-55 0-75 2-20 16 840 15. Barley. 11-20 13-44 44-80 0-50 0-60 2-80 20 860 16. Oats (8-29) (13-44) 42-56 (0-37) (0-60) 7-50 1-90 90-00 17. Rice meal1 1. 26-88 2-50 1-20 850 18. Locust beans 44-80 44-80 87-36 2-00 2-00 8-00 3-90 90-00 19. Malt coombs. 3264-96 54-88 1-46 255 2-45 86-00 20. Fine pollard. 3378-40 56-00 1-50 364 2-50 86-00 21. Coarse pollard 3280-64 56-00 1-45 3-60 65 2-50 86-00 22. Bran. 3312-77 53-76 1-50 0-57 70 2-40 830 23. Clover hay. 35-84 8-96 33-60 1-60 0-40 6-50 1-50 840 24. Meadow hay. 22-40 7-84 22-40 1-00 0-35 5-50 1-00 825 25. Pea straw 22-40 5-38 11-20 1-00 0-24 5-50' 0-50 830 26. Oat straw 17-92 510-08 0-80 0-24 5-00 0-45 840 22-40 27. Wheat straw. 4-03 8-96 1-00 0-18 45 0-40 850 28. Barley straw. 22-40 620-16 1-00 0-30 50 0-90 82-50 29. Bean straw. 12-32 35-60 0-55 0-15 1-00 0-25 25-00 30. Potatoes 6-27 2-02 4-48 0-28 0-09 0-90 0-20 14-00 31. Carrots. 8-06 44-93 0-36 0-19 1-00 0-22 16-00 32. Parsnips 8-96 1-57 40-40 0-07 1-00 0-22 12-50 33. Mangel wurzels 4-93 1-34 50-22 0-06 0-60 0-25 11-00 34. Swedish turnips1 (4-93) (1-34) 4-48 (0-22) (0-06) 0-65 0-20 9-00 35. Yellow turnips 6-72 1-12 4-03 0-30 0-05 0-68 0-18 8-00 36. White turnips

the columns are left blank. Table XXXI., revised by Lawes and Gilbert in 1897, shows the method and the results of the calculation of the total or original manure value of the different foods, adopting as a basis their composition as given in Table XXX. When the table was constructed in 1875 the values per lb of the important manurial ingredients were taken as ammonia, 8d. ; phosphoric acid, 2|d. ; potash, 2d. At the revision of the table in 1885 these were altered to 6d., 3d., and 2|d. respectively. At the subsequent revision in 1897 the fluctuations in prices which had then taken place rendered necessary a further modification to 4d. per lb for ammonia, 2d. per lb for phosphoric acid, and 1 -|d. per lb for potash, these being the lowest of all. They determine the figures given in the last column of the table, representing the total manure value per ton of food consumed. The sum of £2, 11s. lid., for example, denoting the manure value of one ton of linseed cake consumed, is the aggregate of <£2, Is. 2d. for nitrogen; 6s. lid. for phosphdric acid, and 3s. lOd. for potash. This table is of interest alike to the stockfeeder and to the valuer, and it will repay closer study. The first column shows the estimated amounts of each food required to give one part of fattening increase in live weight of

oxen or sheep; and the second column shows the amountsof such increase that would, accordingly, be acquired by the consumption of one ton of each food, borne such estimate must necessarily be made before it is possible to calculate how much of the manure constituents of the food are carried off by the animal increase, and consequently how much remain for manure. It must not, however, be concluded that, by the consumption by oxen or sheep of one ton of any one of the different foods %ised alone, the amount of fattening increase given in the second column of the table would be produced,—that, for example, a ton of linseed cake, if so given, would yield 373 R>, a ton of oat straw 124 ft, or a ton of mangels 23 It) of increase. What is meant is that, when any one of the foods is gien in the judicious amount and in admixture with other foods; which experience shows to be beneficial, it may be estimated that one ton of the food so consumed will, approximately, contribute the amount of increase in live weight stated. _ . Taking into consideration the difficulties attending the experimental determination of these values, it is claimed that they are the best that existing knowledge renders it possible to arrive at. Nevertheless, it is pretty certain