200 Food for Agricultural Stock. 



laboratory, by Mr. Segelcke, of one of these foods. A practical 

 trial of the same food will be noticed further on. 



Water 12-86 



Nitrogenous substance 15"51* 



Fatty matter 6-22 



Starch, su^ar, &c 55"97 



Woody fibre 5-50 



Mineral matter 3-94 



100-00 

 * Nitrogen 2--i5 per cent. 



Independently of the slight colouring with turmeric, and 

 flavouring with cumin, anise, or other of the stimulating and 

 carminative seeds used in cattle medicine, which these foods 

 frequently exhibit, the constituents as here stated, could be sup- 

 plied by a mixture of barley-meal with some of the leguminous 

 seeds enumerated, and oilcake or linseed. Such a mixture, 

 according to the prices quoted, could be prepared for about one- 

 foui'th the price of the manufactured cattle-food. 



Tliese foods are recommended to be used in comparatively 

 small proportion to the total food consumed. The animals have, 

 therefore, still to rely for the bulk of their nourishment upon or- 

 dinary food ; and it is stated that, with the use of these manufac- 

 tured foods, the quantity of corn may be reduced to about one- 

 half ; and that coarse and comparatively innutritions matters, 

 such as bran and chopped straw, will, by the admixture, be 

 rendered palatable and nutritious. 



Now bran and chopped straw contain a large proportion of 

 woody fibre ; which, though required for bulk by the ruminant 

 animals, passes through their bodies in a finely-divided state, 

 but otherwise almost unchanged. More or less of the soluble 

 matters are extracted from such food during its passage ; but no 

 evidence has been brought forward to show that these manufac- 

 tured foods will so stimulate digestion, as either to extract more 

 of its already-existing nutritious matters, or to render the woody 

 fibre itself, of the coarse foods mentioned, more directly service- 

 able to the nourishment of the animals. 



All animals require In their daily food a given amount of di- 

 gestible and convertible constituents ; such as starch, sugar, 

 pectine, gum, oil, nitrogenous compounds, and certain mineral 

 matters. The proper amount of some or all of these must be 

 contained in the food supplied ; and no stimulant, or any other 

 device, can substitute that necessary amount, if the animal is not 

 to decrease in weight. If, on the other hand, the animal be re- 

 quired to increase in weight, as in the case of our growing and 

 feeding stock, an additional amount of digestible and assimilable 

 constituents is required, beyond that which, under otherwise 



