Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-12-09
Nntritire Mailer In plants.

In this age Of discovery we know hardly ANYTHING
which has been more completely revolutionized than
the system Of determining The quantity Of nutrve
matter in the different kinds Of plants suitable for
fodder 1t seems as if The very principle Of feeding
on nutritve matter was utterly unknown when many
elaborate tables OF these supposed relative qualities
were published. Sir John Sinclair. if we recoect
right, had series Of examinations made, with a
view TO determine the quantity Of nutrye matter in
plants, which Sir H. Davy appended 10 his lectures
on agricultural chemistry. Hence though it cannot
be said that he entirely responsible for their ac-
curacy, he most certainly stood committed to the
principle by which they ascerained And
that principle appears to have been, simply aseer-
tanning the amount OF soluble matter each plant con-
tanned. This was the criterion OF merit in the scale
OF nutrition; and these tables all the theories Of
writers on vegetable nutrition seem 10 have since
been based. We remember some time ago recon-
mendlng the adoption OF COW grass for red clover
in sowing lands where the clover sickness might be
likely 10 be prevalent, as Of security against
that malady. We urged that the hardy perennial
had powerful vital hold on the sofia great
er tenacity Of e--than The sickly biennial the
solid stalk of the former was less susceptible Of the
influences of oxygen and Of frost than the hollow
stalk of the cover-for there is really this decided
physical difference. And soon some writer, found
ing his observations on the assumed auth0rit, of
these tables of nutrition, showed us that we were
sadly wrong in conclusions, because the red clo-
ishing han the cow-grass. We once put our Iai m
under afe-roatlon, instead oil red clover. That
crop was substituted for the clover with great ad.
vantage to the production oil the latler but We found
II to be too scourging be persevered in as crop.
We dried it and saved it much after The manner of
the clover, though it far more difficult to SECURE
Against this many parties made sad objections, on
the ground that The was far inferior 10 the TO-
yer IN point Of nuiritve value, and that it was not
advisable 10 grow it, even If two-ihirds more weight
per acre of tare than Of clover could be obtaned-
Again, we have been sadly rated for mixing the
hardy trelo amongst the tavorite, Du more
delicate white clover 1t suficed VI to find the tre-
foil would grow and hrive-wouid afford some sort
OF food when white clover was some " hat deficient
We saw the sheep and horses eat 1t, and this was
sufficient for us, We preferred what we were con-
WINGED, without much arguing or evidence, was in
eror TO the clover, but vastly superior TO the weeds
which would grow il The cultivated plants did
not. a a
II was not until lately that doubts were cast upon
the whole groundwork and principles OF The tables
appended 10 Dayy, and with almost Simultaneous
steps DR. Voeckr and Mr. Anderson discovered
the whole to be iaacy. We have before us Dr.
Voelckers results which are more worthy of aiten-
ton Than those of Mr. Anderson, because they were
from crops grown on land in natural condilion,and
on the same land; whereas, if we rightly recoect
the Doctors from various localities 1t is al
ways more trustworthy TO have specimens Of plants
analysed for comparatively nutrtive purposes to Sc
lecf them from the same spot because cultivation,
and especially manure, will have the greatest nhu.
ence on the composition Of the plants
Taking the clover and the trefOil-the white clio.
yer especiaVy-we find the following comparative
results