282 EXPERIMENT FOR ASCERTAINING WEIGHT OF STOCK 



most effectual in bringing cattle rapidly to maturity. Almost 

 every feeder has his own favourite grain, or cake, or mixture, 

 and it is rare to find that any two even among the most success- 

 ful have adopted exactly the same foods. 



With the purpose of helping to answer the question, " What 

 food, in addition to turnips and stratu, has most ejfect in hastening 

 the fattening of two-year old hidlochs ? " I resolved to conduct 

 some experiments on the lines laid down by the Highland and 

 Agricultural Society. To attempt to settle the whole question 

 by one set of experiments would probably result in settling 

 nothing. I therefore determined to confine myself to one class 

 of foods, and I fixed upon the oilseeds and the cakes made from 

 them. I believe they are generally thought to be most useful, 

 and therefore it is proper that they should be tried first. There 

 is, moreover, a manifest mistake, in an economical point of view, 

 in using both linseed oil and linseed cake for the same purpose, 

 which it is desirable to correct. It cannot be economical for 

 two men to buy a ton of linseed and pay a manufacturer to 

 make it into oil and cakes, and then for the one to use the oil 

 and the other the cakes for the same object. If both are equally 

 efficacious, it would be more economical for them to divide the 

 linseed and use it with the oil in it. 



Like Mrs Glass of famous memory, I thought the first step to 

 be taken was to procure the animals. After trying in vain for 

 two years, I succeeded in getting together by the middle of 

 April 1883 twenty bullocks tolerably uniform in age, breed, 

 condition, and maturity. Their age was about two years ; 

 sixteen were pure black polled Aberdeen-Angus, and four were 

 also polled, but first crosses betw^een the shorthorn and the Aber- 

 deen-Angus breeds. They were all in good condition, though 

 hardly good enough for making first-class Christmas bullocks 

 of. The cattle I arranged to divide ultimately into four lots of 

 five in each, but for three months they fed together in a field of 

 new grass. They throve well, but as they seemed likely to be 

 Gcarce of grass before the end of summer, I put some nitrate of 

 soda on the field. This soon brought up a luxuriant growth of 

 grass, which they relished very much; being succulent, it proved 

 rather laxative for them. 



My next care was to provide a suitable weighing machine. 

 An Edinburgh firm undertook to supply a machine to weigh 

 carts or cattle for £19, 10s, free on rail or ship. I intended to 

 commence my experiment in July and to conclude it before the 

 first day of November, but unfortunately the weighing machine 

 was broken on the way from Edinburgh, and did not arrive till 

 the end of August. I also provided a spring machine, weigh- 

 ing up to 14 lbs. for the food. Both suited the purpose intended 

 admirably. 



