332 Sheep. 



The tegs would probably have been sold at a profit in April ; 

 they were, however, put in grass and clover, and were fattened 

 in the summer. 



Good wheat, barley, oat, and bean straw, was cut into fine chaff 

 and sifted by a steam-power chaff-cutting machine made by 

 Maynard, of Whittlesford. The chaff dressed from the grain 

 was also used. 



The main points in the preparation of the food are to use sweet 

 straw cut fine and sifted, and to soften, without wetting it too 

 much, by using a sufiicient quantity of boiling liquid. One- 

 fourth to one-half of the meal should be boiled (or steamed) into 

 soup, thrown on the chaff, and the heap chopped over and well 

 mixed with a wooden rake. Then stir and mix in the remainder 

 of the meal and ground cake, and round up the heap. If properly 

 prepared, the chaff becomes exceedinglv sweet and palatable. It 

 should be free from lumps of meal, or pudding, and equally 

 moistened and cooked by proper mixture of the boiling liquor 

 throughout the heap. 



Maize-meal makes the best soup ; barlev-meal makes a sticking 

 paste that does not mix well with the chaff. 



With Riche's and Watts's American grist-mill we grind from 

 30 to 40 qrs. of corn a day, as fine as it is needed for sheep or 

 cattle, reducing the grinding account to a comparatively small sum. 



The proportions of the different kinds of grain were varied, 

 from time to time, for the sake of that change of diet which is so 

 conducive to health. 



Linseed-cake, though relatively dear food, was probably a 

 wholesome addition. Rape-cake, at 6/. per ton, was the cheapest 

 ingredient ; it was crushed fine and added dry. The sheep ate 

 their food as usual, in spite of this rather bitter addition. 



Oat-meal was relatively dear, but it is easy of digestion and 

 wholesome. Wheat-meal was at first used sparingly, but the 

 proportion was gradually increased, because, though costing more 

 per stone than barley or maize, we became aware that, in 

 nutritive value, it was decidedly superior. 



Maize should not form more than one-fourth of the mixture of 

 corn and cake, and it should be boiled ; dry maize-meal induces 

 a feverish condition, unless used very sparingly. 



A continuance of low prices for grain will oblige the English 

 farmer to modify his system of feeding, and the preparation and 

 use of his own produce on his own farm, will become an 

 important branch of his business. 



Under the system we have detailed the health of the sheep was 

 very satisfactory. In two flocks of 300 lambs each the first loss 

 that occurred was at the end of January, when a lamb tumbled 

 into the drinking-pond and was drowned. 



