68 REPORTS OX DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS OF FOOD FOR STOCK. 



5s. ; and indeed, occasionally, when the price of oatmeal was so 

 low as 25s. per load, we had to pay the same figure for beanmeal. 

 In these circumstances, besides the trouble and risk, there was 

 the loss consequent upon the extra preparation for market, and 

 the cartage both to and from. It therefore occurred to us, that 

 an experiment on the comparative feeding values of beanmeal 

 and oatmeal would be of some importance. 



On March 16, 1864, four feeding beasts and four milch cows 

 were chosen from our stock, and were put up in lots of two 

 in each, and were fed exactly alike till March 30th. All the 

 animals were of the Ayrshire breed, and were as nearly alike in 

 size, age, and condition, as we had. The milch cows in lot 1 

 had both calved in December 1863, and those in lot 2, in Feb- 

 ruary 1864. The allowance of food to each lot, and the hours at 

 which it was given during the whole course of the experiment, 

 from March 30th till June 1st, was as follows : — 



5 a.m. — 37^ lbs. mangolds, and 2 lbs. hay chaff steamed, and 

 5J lbs. meal (bean or oat as the case may be), J lb. treacle, and 

 6 oz. salt mixed with them. 



5-30 a.m. — 4 lbs. hay. 



9-30 a.m. — 4 lbs. hay, and water ad lib. 



11 a.m. — Steamed mess, as at 5 a.m. 



11-30 A.M.— 4 lbs. hay. 



5 p.m. — Steamed mess, as at 5 a.m. 



7*30 p.m. — 4 lbs. hay, and water ad lib. 



Being a daily allowance to each animal of 56 lbs. mangolds, 

 3 lbs. hay chaff, 8 lbs. meal (bean or oat), 8 lbs. hay, | lb. 

 treacle,* 6 oz. salt. 



On March 30th all the animals were weighed, and the lots 1 

 (of both beasts and cows) were put upon the beanmeal diet, and the 

 lots 2 upon the oatmeal. After the lapse of twenty-eight days, 

 on April 27th, they were again weighed, and the lots 1 were 

 changed to the oatmeal diet, and the lots 2 to the beanmeal. 

 They were weighed after the interval of a week, on May 4th, 

 and again, after another period of twenty-eight days, on June 

 1st, when the experiment was concluded. These weighings will 

 be found in Tables I. and II. 



The milk given was weighed, morning and evening, as drawn 

 from the cows. The total quantity given in each period of 

 twenty-eigltf days will be found in Table III. 



Samples of the milk were taken for examination f on a con- 

 venient day in the last week of each period. The percentages of 



* The treacle was given not only as a laxative, but as a condiment; cattle 

 surfeit so readily on lanje quantities of meal — oatmeal especially. 



t The methods of examination employed will be found fully detailed at 

 page 59. 



