COUNTIES OF ROSS AND CEOMAETY. 189 



mixture and draff. In this way from forty to fifty fine bullocks 

 are prepared every season for the Smithfield Chi'istmas market, 

 where they usually command prices ranging from L.32 to L.-iO a 

 liead. The byres emptied by these bullocks are filled up by 

 bought-in two-year-old heifers, and these are fed exactly in the 

 above manner, and sold off as they become ready for the butcher ; 

 the stalls thus emptied being filled up by others so long as the 

 supply of turnips and litter lasts. About the end of May 

 " soiling " is commenced with a few heifers, grass being cut and 

 supplied to them in the byres along with 6 lbs. per day of the 

 feeding mixture. By this system, as already stated, Mr 

 Mackenzie feeds off from 200 to 300 cattle every year, according 

 to the supply of the straw — rather extensive feeding for a farm 

 of 370 acres of light land. From 10,000 to 12,000 stones of hay 

 are consumed by feeding cattle every year, and in addition to 

 this, and exclusive of turnips, Mr Mackenzie's annual feeding 

 bill usually amounts to about L.IOOO, from which it may be calcu- 

 lated that every season he puts double his rent under his turnip 

 crop in the shape of farmyard manure and exclusive of artificial 

 manure. As yet he has found that, by this high scale of feeding, 

 he has done more good to the land than to his own pocket ; but he 

 looks forward with confidence to a full return by and by. 

 And certainly such enterprise richly deserves a handsome return. 

 It may be mentioned that the cattle courts at Dalmore are 

 covered, and that some of the cattle are fed in stalls and others 

 in loose boxes. The feeding mixture used by Mr Mackenzie is 

 a very excellent one, and being new, a few particulars regarding 

 it may be read with interest. It consists of the following 

 ingredients, viz., 1 ton of pure linseed, 1 ton of oil-cake (linseed), 1 

 ton of beans or tares, 1 ton of oats, 1 ton of rye, 1 ton of Indian 

 corn, 1 ton of locust beans, 3 lbs. of common salt. All these 

 stuffs are gi'ound separately, and then thoroughly mLxed into one 

 " big batch." The average cost of the mixture for the past four 

 years was from L.9 to L.10 per ton, or about Id. per pound. Tor 

 about eighteen months the mixture was used without any linseed, 

 but it was found to heat the cattle too much, and to have a bind- 

 ing effect on their bowels, but since the introduction of the ton of 

 linseed the mixture has done its work admirably. From the 

 fallowing analysis it will be seen that fiesh-forming and blood- 

 forming ingredients and bone and muscle producers are combined 

 in tlie mixture in about their i)roper proportions. The linseed 

 was added since the mixture was analyzed, and therefore we are 

 unable to give an analysis of it, but it is well known that Unseed 

 is very rich in oily ingredients : — 



