220 Experiments of Sheep-Feeding. 



any time in March or the beginning of April, as a very useful 

 refuge from dried-up pastures late in the summer and autumn. 



Cirencester, Dec. 17 tli, 1865. 



Note. — In 1860 I advocated the drilling of kohl rabi, and 

 stated how well the crop then resisted the tcet season, yielding 

 about 15 tons per acre on light land. 



It has never failed me since, and is, in this drt/ season, as 

 good or better than ever. My crop is designed for ewes and 

 lambs in February and March ; and my eleven acres are my 

 sheet-anchor for some 300 ewes, and probably 430 lambs. It was 

 sown between May the 19th and the middle of June : less than 

 2 lbs. of seed per acre was used. I have only one new hint to 

 give, — that rather a coarse green variety, which will carry a good 

 deal of top, is to be preferred for winter use. I shall certainly 

 act on Mr. Lawrence's suggestion, and have an early sowing 

 likewise for use in August. '^ 



P. H. Freke. 



4. — Comparative Experiment on the Use of Wlteat-meal and oj 

 JJnseed-cahc for Fatting Sheep. 13y P. H. Freiie. 



The consideration of the relative value of corn and of cake at 

 the present moment, induced me to trv the following experiment. 

 By having duplicate pens, one of Shearlings and one of Hoggetts, 

 I have been enabled to compare the merits of sheep of different 

 ages and breeds, as well as to check the results obtained. The 

 Hoggetts employed were improved Eastdowns of my own 

 breeding; the Shearlings (the produce of Southdown ewes by 

 Westdown rams) were bought from olf Ilsley Down on the 

 I9th of November last, at 42^. per head. 



Two good even pens of five were selected from each breed, 

 neither the largest nor the smallest in the flock being taken. 

 One lot both of Hoggetts and Shearlings received 1 lb. of linseed- 

 cake per head per day; the other two lots had IJlb. of wheat- 

 meal and \ lb. of cotton-cake. All four lots received 1 lb. per 

 head per day of cut clover-hay, and as much of green food or roots 

 as they would eat ; at first they had drum-head cabbage ; at the 

 end of December weeks swedes were given instead ; and since 

 January 28 they have had mangold. I was surprised to find 

 that at first both the two pens fed with cake ate more green food 

 than the others, the 5 sheep consuming daily 6 stone instead of 

 4 stone. This difference continued till swedes were substituted 

 for cabbage, since which time the cousumption has been very 



