Recent researches have determined a fact of great value to agriculture: that to get the most profitable results from food the Albuminoid and Carbohydrate elements should bear a certain proportion to each other, and that while a decrease in either of them from this proper proportion means insufficient food, and a consequent loss of flesh, fat or milk, an excess of either means money wasted. The proportion for cows that are dry and oxen when not at work is about one of Albuminoids to eight of Carbohydrates; for oxen at work and cows in milk, one of Albuminoids to from four to six of Carbohydrates. The following table taken from Prof. Johnson’s excellent work, “How Crops Grow,” gives the proportion of the Albuminoids, Carbohydrates and other elements in roots and tubers. +-----------------------------------------------------------+ | |Water. | | | |Organic Matter. | | | | |Ash. | | | | | |Albuminoids. | | | | | | |Carbohydrates. | | | | | | |Crude Fibre. | | | | | | | |Fat, &c. +-----------------------------------------------------------+ | ROOTS AND TUBERS. | +-----------------------------------------------------------+ |POTATO. |95.0|24.1|0.9|2.0|21.0|1.1|0.3| |JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE. |80.0|18.9|1.1|2.0|15.6|1.3|0.5| |KOHL-RABI. |83.0|10.8|1.2|2.3| 7.3|1.2|0.2| |FIELD BEETS (3 lbs. weight).|88.0|11.1|0.9|1.1| 9.1|0.9|0.1| |SUGAR BEETS (1 to 2 lbs.). |81.5|17.7|0.8|1.0|15.4|1.3|0.1| |RUTA BAGAS (about 3 lbs.). |87.0|12.0|1.0|1.6| 9.3|1.1|0.1| |CARROT (about ½ lb.). |85.0|14.0|1.0|1.5|10.8|1.7|0.2| |GIANT CARROT (1 to 2 lbs.). |87.0|12.2|0.8|1.2| 9.8|1.2|0.2| |TURNIPS. |92.0| 7.2|0.8|1.1| 5.1|1.0|0.1| |PARSNIP. |88.3|11.0|0.7|1.6| 8.4|1.0|0.2| |PUMPKIN. |94.5| 4.5|1.0|1.3| 2.8|1.0|0.1| +-----------------------------------------------------------+ To give the tables necessary to develop this interesting subject to its full capacity, would be altogether beyond the scope of my little treatise. I will refer my readers to the appendix of that excellent work by Prof. Johnson, “How Crops Grow.” THE COST OF THE CROP. An average crop of Mangolds may be set down at 22 tons. To grow this crop would cost the farmer who depends on barn manure mainly, about as follows:-- DEBTOR.