iδo
AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.
of scientific calculation, as will be scon from the follow-
ing details.
Besides the cost of driving the mountain cattle to a
distant market, which is saved on the farms that lie near
the large towns, the German farmer calculates the gain
from the dung of his stall-fed oxen at 3 waggon loads or
9 tons annually per beast, with a strictly economical use
of straw. In money this quantity of dung may be va-
lued at 17. 10f. to 37., according to the vicinity of the
farm to a town, or the nature of the crop to which the
manure is applied.
A draught ox is estimated to consume in 120 days, from
the 1st of June to the 30th of September, green clover
and meadow hay equivalent to 23 lbs. of hay, with 1 lb.
of meal, daily. Thewinter fodder, 14 lbs. hay, 14 lbs.
potatoes, and 8 lbs. cut straw per diem—added to the
former is equal to—
€ s. d.
Annually, 4 tons 11 cwt. hay, at 15s. per ton 3 7 10
Salt, 54 lbs., at,⅜J. per lb. . . . . 0 2 3
Cost of cutting straw, clover, &c. ∙ . 0 5 10
Straw for litter, 4 lbs. daily, at 6ι7. per cwt. . 0 6 8
Wages of 1 man to 24 head of cattle, at 12/. 12s.
per annum . . . . . . 0 10 6
Shoeing . . . . . ∙ . 0 5 0
Wear and tear of buildings, harness, &c. . 1 8 0
Veterinary charges . . . . . 0 0 0
£ 6 6 1
The set-off against this outlay, besides the manure
valued as above at 17. 10s., is, where full work can be
had, 250 days’ draught, at ls., or 127.10s. per annum. In
the valley of the Sieg the earnings of an ox may amount
to more than this sum ; but the average price of hay in
AGRICULTURE ON THE RHINE.
151
that district is at least 50 per cent, higher than in the
above estimate.
The weight of meadow-hay, or of equivalents requisite
to sustain a cow, is i⅛ of the animal’s weight daily. Until
this allowance is exceeded no milk can be expected. A
cow is fully fed if she gets double this quantity. At the
collegeof Hohenheim, a Cowweighingbetween IlOO and
1200 lbs., gave, with a daily allowance of 36 lbs. of hay
Orequivalents, 39 lbs. of milk. Theyield of milk is in
the following proportions : If the animal weighs 500 lbs.
it will yield 2500 lbs. of milk; 800 lbs. weight in the
carcase is expected to yield 4000 lbs. : and an animal
weighing 1200 lbs. to give 6000 lbs. weight of milk ia
the year.
The following table has been calculated of the in-
crease in weight of horned cattle, in proportion to the
quantity of fodder given daily of the quantity of good
hay.
Daily fodder to
100 lbs. weight
of carcase.
2⅜ lbs.
3 „
3⅜ „
4
An ox
weighing,
In proportion for
12 cwt. of carcase.
30 lbs.
36 „
42 „
48 „
alive, 1520 lbs.,
Increase per diem
in weight.
0∙7 lbs.
2 „
3∙2 „
4∙5 „
s been found to
yield in
The two fore quarters 388 lbs.
„ hind quarters 326 „
--714
Tallow . . . 138
Hide with the hair . 80
Offal . . . 160
Loss . . . 428
1520 lbs.
If four months be taken as the time required for fat-