on Heavy and Light Land. 



249 



well -withered, and that plenty of straw and rock-salt are 

 supplied. 



I advocate the use of a small quantity of artificial food, espe- 

 cially for the shearling ewes ; it may not be necessary or desirable 

 to begin this too soon in the winter; if the lambing- com- 

 mences towards the middle or end of February, we may do very 

 well until Christmas Avithout extra help ; after which it will often 

 prove most beneficial and remunerative from increase in the 

 wool, finer condition of produce, and manure left on the land. 

 Now too that the price of grain is so low, it is especially desirable 

 to make our crops walk to market, if we can only do so profitably. 

 A mixture of beans or peas, barley, wheat, or oats, and palm-nut 

 meal, would answer the purpose admirably. I here subjoin the 

 analj'sis of each : — 



Many other mixtures might be named, which would possess 

 equal feeding properties. Some may object to the barley as 

 being of too heating a nature ; but, used in the small proportions 

 I propose, it would cause no injury. I have named the above 

 as an illustration of the sort of combination that is desirable, and 

 also as being very cheap. The Lincolnshire flockmasters fi'e- 

 quently give their ewes from ^ to 1 lb. of linseed cake daily 

 during winter, and, although the cost is considerable, they con- 

 sider they are repaid in the wool, healthy condition, and in- 

 creased value of manure. 



It may be argued that whilst home-grown produce is so low, 

 foreign materials should not be bought; but the advantage of the 

 mixtui'e consists in the large amount of ready-made fat, which is 

 not to be found in hoine-gi-own food ; and Mr. Lawes, in the same 

 lecture from which I have quoted, states that he considers fat or 

 oil possesses about 2h times the value of starch for the purposes 

 of respiration, or the storing up of fat in the body. Used in the 

 small proportion I propose, the large percentage of fatty matter 

 in the palm-nut meal will warm the animal and keep it healthy. 



