Ch. XXXIV.] WINTER STALL-FEEDING. 387 



In stall-feeding, it is always advisable to give a fair allowance of sound 

 meadow hay, cut into moderate lengths, either with or without some portion 

 of straw, as a corrective of the looseness occasioned by feeding on raw 

 roots ; and these must, of course, be consumed in the order in which they 

 can be best preserved : thus the common white turnip is always the first 

 to begin with, then the Aberdeen yellow, and lastly the Swede. When 

 farmers, however, grow cabbage, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and mangel- 

 wurzel, these roots are used in succession, but the most nutritive species 

 should, if they can be held over, be kept back until the last ; for bul- 

 locks grow dainty as they become fat, and do not require such a quan- 

 tity of food as at the first commencement of stall-feeding ; they should, 

 therefore, have the greatest amount of nutriment put into the smallest 

 possible compass. Various quantities of bran and pollard, pea and bean- 

 meal, and the bruised grain of all sorts of corn, together with oil-cake and 

 linseed jelly, are also given with this view in different proportions — from 

 5 to 10 lbs. — according to their price, the condition of the animals, the 

 intention of pusliing them forward to a market, and the judgment of the 

 feeder. Bran and linseed oil, in the proportion of two pecks of bran, 

 divided into three feeds a day, with half a pint each of oil, has been also 

 strongly recommended, as being found, in that quantity, sufficient for the 

 rapid improvement of small cattle*. On the nutritive properties of these 

 several matters we, however, deem it unnecessary to offer any further re- 

 marks than those which may be found under the different heads where they 

 have been already treatedf. 



Respecting the preparation of some sorts of this food a notion has, how- 

 ever, been long entertained that they are more nutritive when dressed than 

 raw ; and therefore potatoes, together with Swedish turnips and other roots, 

 as well as every species of grain, are frequently steamed. Some recent 

 trials which have been made in pursuance of premiums offered on the 

 subject by the Highland Society, tend, however, to throw considerable doubt 

 on the expediency of the practice ; and, as it is highly important to farmers 

 to have the clearest view presented on every point connected with their 

 profit, we hereby subjoin a brief account of the result as stated in the 

 Transactions of the Society %. 



EXPERIMENTS. 



Mr. Walker of Ferrygate, who obtained the first prize, put up to 

 feed, on the 20th of February, 1833, six two-year-old heifers, and 

 four two-year-old stots, which had been all previously for some time 

 in the yard on full keep ; and their feeding qualities having been 

 thus displayed, a more equal selection could be made than from any 

 lot of lean cattle. 



The Keifers were then divided into two casts of three each, as nearly 

 like as possible, both in point of weight and feeding, and were sepa- 

 rately placed in an open court with sheds ; lots being drawn to 

 determine which were to be put on raw, and which on steamed food. 

 The same process was adopted with the stots ; only with this differ- 

 ence — that they were kept entirely under cover of the sheds, but loose, 

 and having abundance of room to walk about, with plenty of light 

 and air. The daily food allowed to each was — 



* Lambert, on the Rural Affairs of Ireland, p. 68. 

 T See, also, the trials made on feeding with cahbagcs, carrots, and mangel-wurzel, as 

 stated in the note to chap, xx., p, 2j3 of this volume. 

 I Vol. iv. and No. 29. 



2 c 2 



