248 COST OF LINSEED. 



I commenced winter-grazing this year upon white turnips,, 

 grown after flax, the tops of which, being extremely luxuriant, 

 are cut with pea-straw into chaff, compounded with linseed 

 meal,, and given to my bullocks according to the following 

 plan : Upon every six pails of boiling water, one of finely 

 crushed linseed meal is sprinkled by the hand of one person, 

 while another rapidly stirs it round. In five minutes, the 

 mucilage being formed, a half-hogshead is placed close to the 

 copper, and a bushel of the cut turnip-tops and straw put in. 

 Two or three hand-cupsful of the mucilage are then poured 

 upon it, and stirred in with a common muck -fork. Another 

 bushel of the turnip-tops, chaff, c., is next added, and two or 

 three cups of the jelly, as before ; all of which is then expe- 

 ditiously stirred and worked together with the fork and ram- 

 mer. It is afterwards pressed down as firmly as the nature 

 of the mixture will allow with the latter instrument, which 

 completes the first layer. Another bushel of the pea-straw, 

 chaff, &c. is thrown into the tub, the mucilage poured upon it 

 as before, and so on till the copper is emptied. 

 The contents of the tub are lastly smoothed 

 over with a trowel, covered down, and in two 

 or three hours the straw, having absorbed the 

 mucilage, will also, with the turnip-tops, have 

 become partially cooked. The compound is 

 then usually given to the cattle, but sometimes 

 is allowed to remain till cold. The bullocks, 

 however, prefer it warm ; but whether hot or 

 cold, they devour it with avidity. 



The cost for linseed, according to the above rate of feeding, 

 is 2s. 3d. per week ; which seed, though grown upon my own 

 farm, I place to the account of artificial food ; and I calcu- 

 late that in order to obtain the same effect through foreign 

 oil-cake, the expense per week would be at least one moiety 

 more. 



It will now be seen that the real fattening properties of the 

 above compound centre in the linseed ; and that in order to 

 produce a greater or less effect it is only necessary to regulate 

 the quantity of that important ingredient. Also, that wheat, 

 oat, and barley straw, or bean stalks, may be used either with 



