38 THE CATTLE OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



— viz., the roots — and enabling us to substitute cheap straw for 

 expensive hay, that gives them such importance, and marks their 

 introduction as inaugurating a new era in cattle management. 



Pulping-machines are constructed on two distinct principles, 

 viz., first, such as have the cutters fixed on a barrel, differing 

 only from Gardener's turnip slicers in the size of the blades and 

 the spaces in the barrel, through which the cut food escapes ; and, 

 secondly, such as have the knives fixed in a vertical disc. The 

 latter have important advantages, and principally that the roots 

 are not rolled round and round, and bruised, the form of the 

 hopper being such as to allow of their remaining stationary 

 whilst being cut ; whereas when the root comes in contact with 

 the revolving barrel there is a tendency to fly off, and thus a 

 rolling motion is communicated, the root is bruised, and the 

 juice more or less extracted, which is to be avoided. Of all disc 

 pulpers yet brought out, that of Messrs. Hornsby and Sons 

 stands first ; not for the quantity of work done in a given time, 

 but for the perfect way in which the roots are brought into the 

 required condition with the minimum loss of juice. The differ- 

 ence in this respect in different machines is really remarkable. 

 At the Oxford trials in 1870 samples of the pulp were taken 

 and examined a few hours after being cut ; the difference in 

 colour and freshness was very great ; in some cases, notably the 

 produce of barrel cutters, the pulp of mangold was already 

 nearly black. The disc cutters cut to the last piece without the 

 root being squeezed. The price of a pulper is so inconsiderable, 

 the largest power size being only 61. 10s., and the saving is so 

 great that, as we said before, it is only ignorance of its value 

 that prevents universal use. In order to have the greatest 

 advantage from pulp, it should be fresh. Advocates for 

 fermentation are not wanting, but we have always noticed that 

 if kept to the third day the cattle do not eat it so well. 

 Whether in case of necessity the pulp might not be compressed 

 and kept from the air, especially if slightly salted, we cannot 

 say, but think it very probable and worth testing. With steam 

 power, which is only at command one or two days a week, the 

 preservation of the pulp becomes an important question ; but 

 with horse-power always at hand we like using the pulp fresh, 

 never keeping it more than from twenty-four to thirty hours. 



