Chapter XX: Section III: Green Food

_The Grasses._--More than one-half the area of Great Britain and Ireland is under pasture; the grasses, therefore, constitute the most important and abundant food used by live stock. The composition of the natural and artificial grasses is greatly influenced by the nature of the soil on which they are grown, and by the climatic conditions under which they are developed. Many of them are almost worthless, whilst others possess a high nutritive value. Amongst the most useful natural grasses may be enumerated Italian rye-grass, Meadow barley, Annual Meadow-grass, Crested dogstail-grass, Cocksfoot-grass, Timothy or Meadow catstail-grass, and Sweet vernal-grass. Amongst grasses of medium quality I may mention common Oatlike-grass, Meadow foxtail grass, Smooth and rough stalked Meadow-grass, and Waterwhorl-grass. There are very many grasses which are almost completely innutritious, and which ought, under no circumstances, to be tolerated, although too often they make up the great bulk of the herbage of badly-managed meadows and pastures. Such grasses are, the Meadow soft-grass, Creeping soft-grass, False brome-grass, and Upright brome-grass. The rough-stalked Meadow-grass, though spoken favorably of by some farmers, is hardly worthy of cultivation, and the same may be said of many of the grasses which have a place in our meadows and pastures. (See "Analyses of Natural Grasses in a Fresh State, by Dr. Voelcker," on next page.)

The _Schraeder brome_ is a perennial lately introduced into France. It is described as an exceedingly valuable forage crop, and one which is admirably adapted for the feeding of dairy cows. It would be desirable to give it a trial in these countries. The composition (which is very peculiar) of this plant is stated to be as follows, when dry:--

ANALYSIS OF SCHRAEDER BROME HAY.

Water 16.281
Nitrogenous matters 23.443
Fat 3.338
Starch gum, &c. 22.549
Cellulose (fibre) 19.843
Ashes 14.546
-------
Total 100.000

ANALYSES OF NATURAL GRASSES IN A FRESH STATE, BY DR. VOELCKER.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| KEY: |
| A.--Water. |
| B.--Albuminous or Flesh-forming Principles. |
| C.--Fatty Matters. |
| D.--Respiratory Principles: Starch, Gum, Sugar. |
| E.--Woody Fibre. |
| F.--Mineral Matter or Ash. |
| G.--Date of Collection. |
+-----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+-----+-------+
| | A. | B. | C. | D. | E. | F. | G. |
+-----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+-----+-------+
|Anthoxanthum odoratum-- | | | | | | | |
| Sweet-scented vernal grass |80.35| 2.00| .67| 8.54| 7.15| 1.24|May 25|
|Alopecurus pratensis-- | | | | | | | |
| Meadow foxtail grass |80.20| 2.44| .52| 8.59| 6.70| 1.55|June 1|
|Arrhenatherum avenaceum-- | | | | | | | |
| Common oat-like grass |72.65| 3.54| .87| 11.21| 9.37| 2.36|July 17|
|Avena flavescens-- | | | | | | | |
| Yellow oat-like grass |60.40| 2.96| 1.04| 18.66| 14.22| 2.72|June 29|
|Avena pubescens-- | | | | | | | |
| Downy oat-grass |61.50| 3.07| .92| 19.16| 13.34| 2.01|July 11|
|Briza media-- | | | | | | | |
| Common quaking grass |51.85| 2.93| 1.45| 22.60| 17.00| 4.17|June 29|
|Bromus erectus-- | | | | | | | |
| Upright brome grass |59.57| 3.78| 1.35| 33.19 | 2.11| " 23|
|Bromus mollis-- | | | | | | | |
| Soft brome grass |76.62| 4.05| .47| 9.04| 8.46| 1.36| May 8|
|Cynosurus cristatus-- | | | | | | | |
| Crested dogstail grass |62.73| 4.13| 1.32| 19.64| 9.80| 2.38|June 21|
|Dactylus glomerata-- | | | | | | | |
| Cocksfoot grass |70.00| 4.06| .94| 13.30| 10.11| 1.54| " 13|
| Ditto, seeds ripe |52.57|10.93| .74| 12.61| 20.54| 2.61|July 19|
|Festuca duriuscula-- | | | | | | | |
| Hard fescue grass |69.33| 3.70| 1.02| 12.46| 11.83| 1.66|June 13|
|Holcus lanatus-- | | | | | | | |
| Soft meadow grass |69.70| 3.49| 1.02| 11.92| 11.94| 1.93| " 29|
|Hordeum pratense-- | | | | | | | |
| Meadow barley |58.85| 4.59| .94| 20.05| 13.03| 2.54|July 11|
|Lolium perenne-- | | | | | | | |
| Darnel grass |71.43| 3.37| .91| 12.08| 10.06| 2.15|June 8|
|Lolium italicum-- | | | | | | | |
| Italian rye-grass |75.61| 2.45| .80| 14.11| 4.82| 2.21| " 13|
|Phleum pratense-- | | | | | | | |
| Meadow catstail grass |57.21| 4.86| 1.50| 22.85| 11.32| 2.26| |
|Poa annua-- | | | | | | | |
| Annual meadow grass |79.14| 2.47| .71| 10.79| 6.30| .59| May 28|
|Poa pratensis-- | | | | | | | |
| Smooth-stalked meadow grass|67.14| 3.41| .86| 14.15| 12.49| 1.95|June 11|
|Poa trivialis-- | | | | | | | |
| Rough-stalked ditto |73.60| 2.58| .97| 10.54| 10.11| 2.20| " 18|
|Grass from water meadow |87.58| 3.22| .81| 3.98| 3.13| 1.28|Apr. 30|
| Ditto, second crop |74.53| 2.78| .52| 11.17| 8.76| 2.24|June 26|
|Annual rye-grass |69.00| 2.96| .69| 12.89| 12.47| 1.99| " 8|
+-----------------------------+-----+-----+-----+------+------+-----+-------+

Most of the grasses here mentioned were analysed when in flower.

_Tussac Grass_ (_Dactylis caespitus_) is recommended as an excellent plant to grow on very poor, wet, or mossy soils.[26] It is an evergreen grass, somewhat resembling coltsfoot. It is relished by cattle.

ANALYSIS OF TUSSAC GRASS BY JOHNSTONE.

Lower part. Upper part.

Water 86.09 75.17
Flesh-formers 2.47 4.79
Sugar, gum, &c. 4.62 6.81
Woody fibre (with a little albumen) 5.68 11.86
Ash 1.14 1.37
------ ------
Total 100.00 100.00

The "artificial grasses" embrace the clovers, vetches, lucerne, and a few other plants, some of which are seldom cultivated.

ANALYSES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF CLOVER, BY DR. ANDERSON.

+---------------------------------------------
| KEY:
| A.--Water.
| B.--Dry Substances.
| C.--Ash.
| D.--Nitrogenised Substances.
| E.--Ash.
| F.--Nitrogenised Matters.
|
------------------------+-----------------------------+---------------
| Per-centage in the | Per-centage
| Fresh Clover. | in Dry Clover.
+-------+-------+------+------+-------+-------
| A. | B. | C. | D. | E. | F.
------------------------+-------+-------+------+------+-------+-------
Red clover-- | | | | | |
Trifolium pratense: | | | | | |
1. From English seed | 85.30 | 14.70 | 1.30 | 2.31 | 8.90 | 15.87
2. From German seed | | | | | |
(from the Rhine) | 81.68 | 18.32 | 1.49 | 2.81 | 8.15 | 15.50
3. From French seed | 83.51 | 16.49 | 1.95 | 2.25 | 11.82 | 13.56
4. From American seed | 79.98 | 21.02 | 1.58 | 2.87 | 8.05 | ...
5. From Dutch seed | ... | ... | ... | ... | 8.82 | 12.43
Cowgrass-- | | | | | |
Trifolium medium:[27] | | | | | |
Variety, | | | | | |
" Duke of Norfolk | 77.39 | 22.61 | 2.73 | 2.25 | 12.09 | 10.19
" common | 81.76 | 18.24 | 1.92 | 3.19 | 10.53 | 14.37
Crimson clover, | | | | | |
Trifolium incarnatum: | | | | | |
From French seed | 82.56 | 17.44 | 1.88 | 3.25 | 10.81 | 18.56
Yellow clover-- | | | | | |
Medicago lupulina: | | | | | |
From English seed | 77.38 | 22.62 | 2.02 | 3.50 | 8.95 | 15.44
From French seed | 78.60 | 21.40 | 1.75 | 2.94 | 8.18 | 13.69
------------------------+-------+-------+------+------+-------+-------

_Clover_ is very rich in flesh-forming and heat-producing substances. There are several varieties of this plant, of which the Alsike Clover appears to be the most valuable, as it contains a high proportion of organic matter and gives the largest acreable produce. The nature of the soil influences, to a great extent, the composition of this plant: this no doubt accounts for the somewhat discrepant result of the analyses of it made by Way, Voelcker, and Anderson.

The composition of the Vetch, Sainfoin, and Lucerne, resembles very closely that of the Clover: indeed, it appears to me that all these leguminous plants are nearly equally valuable as green forage, but that the best adapted for hay is the Clover. In the following table the composition of these plants is shown:--

ANALYSES OF CLOVER, BY DR. VOELCKER.

---------------------------+-------+-------+-------+---------+---------
| I. | II. | III. | IV. | V.
| Red | White |Yellow | Alsike. | Bokhara
|Clover.|Clover.|Clover.| Clover. | Clover.
+-------+-------+-------+---------+---------
Water | 80.64 | 83.65 | 77.57 | 76.67 | 81.30
| | | | |
Soluble in Water-- | | | | |
_a._ Organic substances | 6.35 | 4.98 | 8.26 | 4.91 | 6.80
_b._ Inorganic substances| 1.55 | 1.13 | 1.40 | 1.33 | 1.54
| | | | |
Insoluble in water-- | | | | |
_a._ Impure vegetable | | | | |
fibre | 11.04 | 9.80 | 12.17 | 16.36 | 10.01
_b._ Inorganic matters | | | | |
(ash) | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.60 | 0.73 | 0.35
+-------+-------+-------+---------+---------
|100.00 |100.00 |100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00
---------------------------+-------+-------+-------+---------+---------

ANALYSES OF LUCERNE, SAINFOIN, AND VETCH.

---------------------------------------+----------+-----------+--------
| I. | II. | III.
| Lucerne. | Sainfoin. | Vetch.
+----------+-----------+--------
Water | 73.41 | 77.32 | 82.16
| | |
Soluble in Water | | |
_a._ Organic substances | 9.43 | 8.00 | 6.07
_b._ Inorganic substances | 2.33 | 1.20 | 1.07
| | |
Insoluble in water | | |
_a._ Impure vegetable fibre | 14.08 | 12.95 | 10.23
_b._ Inorganic matters (ash) | 0.75 | 0.53 | 0.47
+----------+-----------+--------
| 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00
---------------------------------------+----------+-----------+--------

The artificial grasses are, on the whole, more nutritious than the natural grasses; but I should explain that the analyses of the natural grasses which I have quoted refer to those plants in what may be almost termed their wild state: under the influence of good cultivation--when irrigated or top-dressed with abundance of appropriate manure--their analyses would indicate a higher nutritive value. The grasses, and more especially the so-called artificial grasses, are more nutritious and digestible when young. In old clover the proportion of insoluble woody fibre is often so considerable as to greatly detract from the alimental value of the plant.

The _Lentils_, the _Birdsfoot_, the _Trefoil_, and the _Melilot_ are leguminous plants which occasionally are found as constituents of forage crops. Lentils are extensively cultivated on the Continent, and are the only kind of these plants the chemistry of which has been at all studied. The straw contains 7 per cent. of flesh-formers.

_The Yellow Lupine_ is cultivated rather extensively in Germany, France, and Belgium, partly for feeding purposes, partly to furnish a green manure. Its seeds constitute a nutritious article of food for man, and its stems and leaves are given to cattle. An attempt was made a few years ago to introduce its cultivation, as a field crop, into England, and very satisfactory results attended the first trials made with it. Mr. Kimber, who has cultivated this crop, states that it is likely to prove valuable on light sandy soils, where the ordinary green fodder crops are not easily cultivated. The produce per acre obtained in Mr. Kimber's trial was about nineteen tons. Cattle and sheep relish the Yellow Lupine, but according to Mr. Kimber, pigs reject it. Professor Voelcker examined this plant, and found that it resembled in composition the ordinary artificial grasses, except in one respect, namely, a remarkable deficiency in sugar. Altogether, it is not so rich in nutriment as any of the commonly cultivated leguminous plants; but as it can be cultivated on a very poor soil, and gives a good return, it is probable that the Yellow Lupine will yet become a common crop in Britain. The following table exhibits the results of Dr. Voelcker's analysis.

COMPOSITION OF YELLOW LUPINES (CUT DOWN IN A GREEN STATE).

In natural state. Dried at 212 deg.F.

Water 89.20
Oil .37 3.42
[*] Soluble albuminous compounds 1.37 12.68
Soluble mineral (saline) substances .61 5.64
[+] Insoluble albuminous compounds 1.01 9.35
Sugar, gum, bitter extractive matter,
and digestible fibre 3.96 36.68
Indigestible woody fibre (cellulose) 3.29 30.48
Insoluble mineral matters .19 1.75
------ ------
100.00 100.00
[* Containing nitrogen .22 2.03]
[+ Containing nitrogen .16 1.48]

_Rib grass plantain_ (_Plantago lanceolata_) is one of those plants, the value of which for forage purposes is questionable. Many persons believe it to be a useful food. Its composition, which looks favorable, is as follows:--

Water 84.78
Albuminous matters 2.18
Fatty matters 0.56
Starch, gum, &c. 6.08
Woody fibre 5.10
Mineral matter 1.30

The grasses, natural and artificial, are occasionally affected by a formidable and well-known fungus, the _ergot_. Italian rye-grass is the most liable to the ravages of this pest, and there are on record several cases in which ergotted rye-grass proved fatal to the animal fed upon it. Clover and the various leguminous plants appear more liable to the ergot disease than the natural grasses (except rye-grass), but I have on several occasions noticed this fungus on the spikelets of _Hordeum pratense_, _Festuca pratense_, and _Bromus erectus_. It has also been noticed that rye-grass rapidly developed under the influence of liquid manure is so rank that young animals fed upon it are poisonously affected. Alderman Mechi states that in July, 1864, ten out of his thirty Shorthorn calves died in consequence of eating the heads of Italian rye-grass, and that the survivors' health was seriously injured. He was also unfortunate with his lambs, which, during the same month, were folded on Italian rye-grass. "Four days ago," writes the Alderman, "it was sewaged, having been prior to the former growth also guanoed. In four days it had grown from four to five inches, was of an intense green, and pronounced to be, by sharp practical men, just the food for lambs. Well, we put on our lambs, taking care to do so in the evenings after they had been well fed. My bailiff accompanied them, and, within five minutes, turning accidentally round, he saw two of the lambs with their heads in the air staggering (stomach staggers it is called) and frothing at the mouth. He immediately saw the mischief, removed the lambs, and on their way back to a bare fold some of them vomited the Italian rye-grass that they had just eaten, accompanied by frothy slime; others brought it up during the night. Some of them trembled, gaped, and showed all the same symptoms that my calves had done, such as rapid pulse, &c. Two or three of them are rather queer to-day. I hope that Professor Simmonds or some capable person will tell us how this is? If we mow this grass, bring it home, and cut it into chaff, all which tends to heat or dry it, it becomes wholesome food. The same remarks apply in degree to very succulent tares. If the Italian grass is brought home and given long and quite fresh to the calves, it will kill them. It does not appear to injure old ewes as it does lambs or shearlings. The dry weather has something to do with it. In wet weather the evil is much diminished, or disappears."

It is probable that the juice of this poisonous herbage was extremely rich in matters only semi-organised, and perhaps abounded in the crude substances from which the vegetable tissues are elaborated. Such rank grass as this was should not be used until it has attained to a tolerably developed state: in mature plants the juices contain more highly organised matters than are found in young vegetables.

The _Sorghuo_, _or Holcus Saccharatus_.--This plant, introduced to the notice of the British farmer but a few years ago, is only grown in these countries in small quantities. It is very rich in sugar, and cattle relish it greatly. Its composition, according to Dr. Voelcker, is as follows:--

Water 81.80
Albuminous matters 1.53
Insoluble ditto 0.66
Sugar 5.85
Wax and fatty matter 2.55
Mucilage, pectin, and digestible matters 2.59
Indigestible woody fibre 4.03
Mineral matter 0.99
------
100.00

The plants referred to in the above analysis were cut in September. It is found that the composition of the plant is very different at different seasons.

_Green Rye_ is employed as a forage crop, for which purpose it is well adapted. It is about equal in nutritive power to clover. According to Dr. Voelcker its composition is as follows:--

Water 75.423
Flesh-formers 2.705
Fatty matter 0.892
Gum, pectin, sugar, &c. 9.134
Woody-fibre 10.488
Mineral matter 1.358
-------
100.000

_Buckwheat_ is occasionally cut in a green state and used as food for stock. Its composition, according to Einhof and Crome, is as follows:--

Water 82.5
Nitrogenous compounds 0.2
Extractive matters 2.6
Starch, &c. 4.7
Cellulose 10.0
-----
100.0

Rape is one of our most valuable plants for stock feeding. Two varieties are cultivated in these countries--the summer rape (_Brassica Campestris oleifera_) and winter rape (_Brassica rapus_). The great utility of rape arises from the circumstance of its being generally obtained as a _stolen_ crop; for otherwise it is not quite equal to other plants that might be substituted for it--cabbages, &c. This plant is very rich in oily matters, and has been found well adapted both for the feeding of cattle and the fattening of sheep. Its composition, according to Voelcker, is shown in this table:--

COMPOSITION OF GREEN RAPE.

Water 87.050
Flesh-formers 3.133
Fatty matters 0.649
Other respiratory substances 4.000
Woody fibre 3.560
Mineral matter (ash) 1.608
-------
100.000

With respect to the value of rape for the feeding of stock in spring, Mr. Rham makes the following remarks:--

If the crop is very forward it may be slightly fed off, but in
general it is best to let it remain untouched till spring. In the
end of March and the beginning of April it will be a great help
to the ewes and lambs. It will produce excellent food till it
begins to be in flower, when it should immediately be ploughed up.
The ground will be found greatly recruited by this crop, which has
taken nothing from it, and has added much by the dung and urine of
the sheep. Whatever be the succeeding crop, it cannot fail to be
productive; and if the land is not clean, the farmer must have
neglected the double opportunity of destroying weeds in the
preceding summer, and in the early part of spring. If the rape is
fed off in time, it may be succeeded by barley or oats, with clover
or grass seeds, or potatoes, if the soil is not too wet. Thus no
crop will be lost, and the rape will have been a clear addition to
the produce of the land. Any crop which is taken off the land in a
green state, especially if it be fed off with sheep, may be repeated
without risk of failure, provided the land be properly tilled; but
where cole or rape have produced seed, they cannot be profitably
sown in less than five or six years after on the same land. The
cultivation of rape or cole for spring food cannot be too strongly
recommended to the farmers of heavy clay soils.

_The Mustard Plant_ is occasionally used as food for sheep, for which purpose its composition shows it to be well adapted. Voelcker's analysis proves it to be very rich, relatively, in muscle-forming elements and in mineral matters; it might, therefore be with advantage combined with food relatively deficient in these principles.

COMPOSITION OF FRESH MUSTARD.

Water 86.30
Albuminous matters 2.87
Non-nitrogenous matters (gum, sugar, oil, &c.) 4.40
Woody fibre 4.39
Ash 2.04
------
100.00

_The Prickly Comfrey_ has been recommended as a good forage plant. It yields an abundant crop--or rather crops, for it may be cut several times in the year. The plant is a handsome one, and it might combine the useful with the ornamental if it were cultivated on demesne or villa farms. Dr. Voelcker states its composition to be as follows:--

Water 88.400
Flesh-forming substances 2.712
Heat and fat-producing matters 6.898
Ash 1.990
-------
100.000

_Chicory_ is used as a forage crop on the Continent, and Professor John Wilson surmises that it may yet be generally cultivated for this purpose in Great Britain. At present it is rarely grown except for the sake of its roots, which are used as partial substitutes for, or adulterants of, coffee.

COMPOSITION OF CHICORY, ACCORDING TO ANDERSON.

Fresh roots. Fresh leaves.

Water 80.58 90.94
Nitrogenous matters 1.72 1.01
Non-nitrogenous substances 16.39 6.63
Ash 1.31 1.42
------ ------
100.00 100.00

_Yarrow_ (_Achillaea millefolium_) is usually regarded as a weed, but sheep are very fond of it, and when they can get it, never fail to eat it greedily. It possesses astringent properties. Some writers have recommended it as a good crop for warrens and sands. Its composition, according to Way, is as follows:--

DRIED YARROW.

Albuminous matter 10.34
Fatty matters 2.51
Starch, gum, &c. 45.46
Woody fibre 32.69
Mineral matter 9.00
------
100.00

_Melons_ and _Marrows_ have been used, but to a very limited extent, as food for stock. Mr. Blundell advocates their use in seasons of drought. He states that he has obtained more than forty tons per acre of both melons and marrows. They are relished by horses, oxen, sheep, and pigs. Mr. Blundell's advocacy has not been attended with much success, but it would be desirable to give these vegetables a further trial.

Dr. Voelcker's analysis of the cattle melon shows that it contains:--

Water 92.98
Albuminous matters 1.53
Oil .73
Sugar, gum, &c. 2.51
Fibre 1.65
Ash .60
------
100.00

_The Cabbage._--The composition of the Drumhead Cabbage has been studied by Dr. Anderson. He found a larger proportion of nutriment in the outer leaves than in the "heart," and ascertained that the young plants were richer in nutriment than those more advanced in age. His results show the desirability of cultivating the open-leaved, rather than the compact varieties of this plant.

ANALYSIS OF THE CABBAGE.--BY DR. ANDERSON.

Outer leaves. Heart leaves.

Water 91.08 94.48
Compounds containing nitrogen 1.63 0.94
Compounds destitute of nitrogen,
such as gum, sugar, fibre, &c. 5.06 4.08
Ash (mineral matter) 2.23 0.50
------ ------
100.00 100.00

According to Fromberg, the composition of the whole plant is as follows:--

Water 93.40
Nitrogenous, or flesh-forming compounds 1.75
Non-nitrogenous substances such as gum, sugar, &c. 4.05
Mineral matter 0.80
------
100.00

Dr. Voelcker, who has more recently analysed the cattle cabbage, furnishes us with the following details of its composition:--

COMPOSITION OF CABBAGE LEAVES (OUTSIDE GREEN LEAVES).

Water 83.72
Dry matter 16.28
------
100.00

The fresh and the dry matter consisted of:--

Fresh Dry matter.
Matter. Per cent.

[*] Protein compounds 1.65 10.19
Non-nitrogenous matter 13.38 82.10
Mineral matter 1.25 7.71
----- ------
16.28 100.00
[* Containing nitrogen .26 1.63]

In the following table the results of a more elaborate analysis of the _heart_ and inner leaves are shown:--

COMPOSITION OF HEART AND INNER LEAVES.

In natural state. Dry.

Water 89.42
Oil .08 .75
[*] Soluble protein compounds 1.19 11.24
Sugar, digestible fibres, &c. 7.01 66.25
Soluble mineral matter .73 6.89
[+] Insoluble protein compounds .31 2.93
Woody fibre 1.14 10.77
Insoluble mineral matter .12 1.17
------ ------
100.00 100.00
[* Containing nitrogen .19 1.79]
[+ Containing nitrogen .05 .47]

If I were asked what plant I considered the most valuable for forage, I certainly should pronounce an opinion in favor of cabbage. This crop yields a much greater return than that afforded by the Swedish turnip, and it is richer in nutritive matter. Cabbages are greedily eaten by sheep and cattle, and the butter of cows fed upon them is quite free from the disagreeable flavor which it so often possesses when the food of the animal is chiefly composed of turnips. If the cabbage admitted of storing, no more valuable crop could be cultivated as food for stock.

Mr. John M'Laren, of Inchture, Scotland, gives in the "Transactions of the Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland for 1857," a report on the feeding value of cabbage, which is highly favorable to that plant:--

On the 1st December, 1855 (says the reporter), two lots of
Leicester wethers, bred on the farm, and previously fed alike,
each lot containing ten sheep, were selected for the trial by
competent judges, and weighed. Both lots were put into a field
of well-sheltered old lea, having a division between them. All
the food was cut and given them in troughs, three times a day.
They had also a constant supply of hay in racks.

At the end of the trial, on the 1st of March, 1856, the sheep
were all re-weighed, sent to the Edinburgh market, and sold same
day, but in their separate lots. As I had no opportunity of
getting the dead weights, I requested Mr. Swan, the salesman, to
give his opinion on their respective qualities. This was to the
effect that no difference existed in their market value, but that
the sheep fed on turnips would turn out the best quality of mutton,
with most profit for the butcher. Both lots were sold at the same
price, viz., 52s. 6d. During the three months of trial, we found
that each lot consumed about the same weight of food--viz., 8 tons
13 cwt. 47 lb. of cabbage, being at the rate of 21-1/3 lbs. per day
for each sheep, and 8 tons 10 cwt. 7 lb. Swedes, being at the rate
of 20-9/10 lb. per day.

It will be seen, by referring to the table (see next page), that in
this trial the Swede has proved of higher value for feeding purposes
than the cabbage, making 11 st. 4 lb. of gain in weight, whilst the
cabbage made 10 st. 9 lb. At the same time, 3 cwt. 40 lb. less food
were consumed; and taking the mutton gained at 6d. per lb., the
Swedes consumed become worth 9s. 3-1/4d. per ton, while the gain on
the cabbage, at the same rate, makes them worth 8s. 7d. per ton.
But from the great additional weight of the one crop grown over the
other, the balance, at the prices, c., mentioned, is in favor of the
cabbage by L1 15s. 11-3/4d. per acre.

These results certainly speak strongly in favor of the cabbage; but the weight of the acreable crop of cabbages stated in the table appears to be unusually great. So heavy a crop is rarely obtained.

_Furze_ (_Gorse, or Whins_).--Notwithstanding the natural historical knowledge of Goldsmith, his poetical description of the furze is far from accurate. This plant, instead of being "unprofitably gay," deserves to rank amongst the most valuable vegetables cultivated for the use of the domestic animals. It grows and flourishes under conditions which most injuriously affect almost every other kind of fodder and green crop. Prolonged drought in spring and early summer not unfrequently renders the hay crop a scanty one; while autumn and winter frosts change the nutriment of the mangels and turnips into decaying and unwholesome matter. Under such circumstances as these, the maintenance of cattle in good condition is very expensive, unless in places where a supply of furze is available. This plant is rather improved than otherwise by exposure to a temperature which would speedily destroy a mangel or a turnip; and, although it thrives best when abundantly supplied with rain, it can survive an exceedingly prolonged drought without sustaining much injury.

TABLE

SHOWING THE DIFFERENCE OF WEIGHT GROWN ON AN ACRE OF CABBAGE AND AN
ACRE OF SWEDES, AND THE VALUE OF EACH FOR FEEDING.

+-----+-------+---------+---------+--------+--------+--------------+--------+
| No. | | Weight | Weight | |Value of| Total Weight | |
| Of | | of | of | | Gain | of Food | Value |
|Sheep| Kinds | Ten | Ten | | taking | consumed | of Food|
| In | of | Sheep, | Sheep, | Gain. | Mutton | in |consumed|
|Each | Food. |1st Dec.,|1st Mar.,| | at 6d. | Three Months | per |
|Lot. | | 1855. | 1856. | |per lb. | by each lot. | Ton. |
+-----+-------+---------+---------+--------+--------+--------------+--------+
| | | st. lb. | st. lb. | st. lb.| L s. d.|tons. cwt. lb.|s. d. |
| 10 |Cabbage| 90 10 | 101 5 | 10 9 | 3 14 6 | 8 13 47 |8 7 |
| | | | | | | | |
| 10 |Swedes | 89 3 | 100 7 | 11 4 | 3 19 0 | 8 10 7 |9 3-1/4|
+-----+-------+---------+---------+--------+--------+--------------+--------+

+-----+-------+----------+------------+----------+-------------+------------+
| No. | | Total | | | | |
| Of | | Weight | Value | Extra | Free | Balance |
|Sheep| Kinds | per | of each | Cost on | Value | in favor |
| In | of | Acre | Crop | each Crop| of each | of |
|Each | Food. | of each | per Acre. | per Acre.| Crop | Cabbage |
|Lot. | | Crop. | | | per Acre. | per Acre. |
+-----+-------+----------+------------+----------+-------------+------------+
| | |tons. cwt.| L s. d. | L s. d.| L s. d. | L s. d. |
| 10 |Cabbage| 42 14 | 18 6 6 | 4 10 11 | 13 15 7 | |
| | | | | | | 1 15 11-3/4|
| 10 |Swedes | 26 12 | 12 6 7-1/4| 0 7 0 | 11 19 7-1/4 | |
+-----+-------+----------+------------+----------+-------------+------------+

The furze is a member of the family _Leguminosae_, which includes so many useful plants, such as, for example, the pea, the bean, and the clovers. There are three varieties of it met with in this country--namely, the common furze, _Ulex europaeus_, the dwarf furze, _Ulex nanus_, and the Irish, or upright furze, _Ulex strictus_.

The common furze is a hardy shrub, and grows luxuriantly at an elevation far higher than the limits of cereal cultivation. It flourishes on any kind of soil which is moderately dry, and heavy crops may easily be raised on uplands almost incapable of producing grass. The dwarf furze is never cultivated, but as it grows at a still greater elevation, and on a poorer soil than the larger varieties, it might be profitably cultivated on very high uplands. The Irish furze yields a softer and less prickly food than the other kinds, but as it does not usually bear seed, and must therefore be propagated by cuttings, its cultivation has hitherto been limited to but a few localities.

The produce of an acre of furze appears to be at least equal to that of an acre of good meadow. The Rev. Mr. Townsend of Aghada, county of Cork--the most zealous and successful advocate for the cultivation of this plant--informed me that he had obtained so much as 14 tons per acre; a fact which proves that the furze is a plant which is well deserving of the attention of the farmer.

Furze is an excellent food for every kind of stock. Cattle, although they may at first appear not to relish its prickly shoots, soon acquire a fondness for it. I have known several instances of herds being fed almost if not entirely on the bruised plant, and to keep in good condition. The late Professor Murphy, of Cork, stated that on the farm of Mr. Boulger, near Mallow, thirty-five cows were fed on crushed furze, which they "devoured voraciously." Each animal received daily from four to six stones of the crushed plant, to which were added a little turnip pulp and a small quantity of oats. The milk and butter yielded by these cows were considered excellent. In a letter addressed to me by a very intelligent feeder, Mr. John Walsh,[28] of Stedalt, county of Dublin, the following remarks in relation to this subject are made:--

I had lately an opportunity of seeing a herd of cattle of about
sixty head, of which twenty had been fed with furze prepared with
my machine for about six weeks before being put out to grass. The
condition of these was so superior that I pointed out every one of
them, one after the other, out of the herd. The owner of the cattle
had made the same observation; it was new to him but not to me.

Furze is seldom given to sheep or pigs, but I believe that it might with advantage enter into the dietary of those animals. Some of my friends who have lately tried it with pigs report favorably as to its effects. Horses partly fed upon this plant keep in good condition; it is usually given to them cut merely into lengths of half an inch or an inch, but it would be better to give it to them finely bruised. A horse during the night will eat a much larger quantity of coarsely cut furze than of the well bruised article, because he is obliged to expend a great deal of muscular power in bruising the furze, and must, consequently, use an additional quantity of the food to make up for the corresponding waste of tissue.

Until quite recently, the chemistry of the furze was very little studied. The analysis of this plant made many years ago by Sprengel gave results which, in the present advanced condition of agricultural chemistry, are quite valueless. The late Professor Johnston merely determined its amount of water, organic matter, and ash. I believe I was the first to make a complete investigation into the composition of this plant according to the methods of modern chemical analysis. I made two examinations. The first was of shoots cut on the 25th April, 1860, on the lands of Mr. Walsh of Stedalt, near Balbriggan, in the county of Dublin. The shoots were, in great part, composed of that year's growth, with a small proportion of the shoots of the previous year. They were very moist, and their spines, or thorns, were rather soft. Their centesimal composition was as follows:--

Water 78.05
Nitrogenous, or flesh-forming principles 2.18
Fat-forming principles (oil, starch, sugar, gum, &c.) 8.20
Woody fibre 10.17
Mineral matter (ash) 1.40
------
100.00

The second analysis was made of furze cut on the 15th August, 1862. The following were the results obtained:--

Water 72.00
Nitrogenous, or flesh-forming principles 3.21
Oil 1.18
Other fat-forming principles (starch, gum, &c.) 8.20
Woody fibre 13.33
Mineral matter 2.08
------
100.00

The specimen was allowed to lie for a few days in a dry room, so that it lost a little water whilst in my possession, before it was subjected to analysis.

The sample cut in August contained a larger amount of nutriment than the specimen analysed in the spring; but its constituents appeared to be much less soluble in water, and therefore, less digestible.

Professor Blyth, of the Queen's College, Cork, has more recently made a very elaborate analysis of furze, grown in the county of Cork, which gave results still more favorable to the plant than those arrived at by me--probably because the specimens furnished to him were drier than mine.

ANALYSIS OF FRESH FURZE, BY DR. BLYTH.

100 parts contain:--

_Matters readily soluble in water and easily digested._

[*] Albuminous, or flesh-forming compounds 1.68
Fat and heat-producing, or respiratory elements,
viz., sugar, gum, &c. &c. 7.83
Ash 0.83
-----
Total matters soluble in water 10.34
[* Containing nitrogen 0.265]

_Matters insoluble in water._

Oil 2.14
[+] Albuminous, or flesh-producing compounds 2.83
Fat and heat-producing, or respiratory elements 1.00
Woody fibre 28.80
Ash 3.23
-----
Total matters insoluble in water 38.00
Water, expelled at 212 51.50
-----
99.48
Total nitrogen in plant 0.71
Total albuminous, or flesh-producing compounds 4.51
Total respiratory, or heat and fat-producing compounds 8.83
Total ash 4.06
The ash contains in 100 parts:--
Potash 20.00
Phosphoric acid 8.72
[+ Containing nitrogen 0.445]

If the large per-centage of water be deducted, the dry, nutritive matters can then be more readily compared with the amount of the same substances in other feeding articles:--

_Composition of 100 parts of furze dried at 212 deg.. Matters soluble in
water in the dry furze._

[*] Albuminous compounds 3.47
Respiratory elements 16.15
Ash 1.71
------
Total matters soluble in water 21.33
[* Containing nitrogen 0.546]

_Matters insoluble in water in the dry furze._

Oil 4.41
[+] Albuminous compounds 5.84
Respiratory elements 2.06
Woody fibre 59.38
Ash 6.66
------
Total matters insoluble in water 78.35
-----
99.68

Total nitrogen in dry furze 1.46
Total albuminous compounds 9.13
Total respiratory elements 18.20
Total ash 8.36
[+ Containing nitrogen 0.917]

_Composition of ash per cent._

Potash 20.00
Phosphoric Acid. 8.72

The results of these analyses show that dry furze contains an amount of nutriment equal to that found in dry grass. The nature of its composition resembles, as might be expected, that of its allied plants, vetches, &c., and therefore it exceeds the grasses in its amount of ready formed fatty matter.