PREPARATION OF FEEDING-STUFFS 143 



into thin slices and put into a cask with a double 

 bottom and tap, then covered with cold water 

 which after standing 6-12 hours is drawn off. In 

 this way the greater part of the acrid substances are 

 got rid of without loss of nutrients. Potatoes con- 

 tain about 3% of material soluble in cold water. 



Good results are obtained by steeping lupine 

 seeds, which contain a bitter principle with poison- 

 ous properties, in cold water, for otherwise only 

 small quantities are eaten by stock. Lupine seeds 

 are very liable to cause distension and affect the 

 milk, either reducing the quantity or giving it a 

 bitter taste, etc. 



To get rid of these bitter substances the lupines 

 are soaked for 24-36 hours in cold or lukewarm 

 water, then boiled for an hour, and finally washed 

 well with cold water, the water being changed every 

 6-12 hours. Where convenient the final washing 

 can be done in a stream, the seeds being placed in 

 baskets or sacks. As lupine seeds after treatment 

 are very slippery and difficult to chew, it is ad- 

 visable to crush them before feeding. This method 

 of preparing lupine seeds would probably prevent 

 lupine sickness, which from time to time is pre- 

 valent (see under " Grains "). 



In the process of steeping the ripe seeds lose 

 12-20% of dry matter, mostly nitrogen-free extract 

 substance, whilst unripe seeds lose up to 30%. 



