THE FEEDING OF FARM STOCK. 



803 



With \\ beat, as with maize, some roughage is required. The results are by 

 aio means so good as with maize, and there is always the danger of the sheep 

 picking up earth and sand with the grain. Soaking the wheat beforehand 

 is not an advantage, unless sorrie medicament (salt, molasses, &c.) is added 

 to the water. It is not so nutritive for sheep as maize and is less economical. 



Experience with oats and barley is somewhat similar to that with wheat- 

 Barley, however, is hard to masticate, and should be crushed before using. 



Other Foods. — Various other foods that may be obtainable locally can be 



during drought. Pumpkins and melons contain a large percentage 



-of water, and, of the two, pumpkins are to be preferred. About 2\ tons of 



pumpkins are reported to be equal in nutritive value to 1 ton of maize 



•ensilage. The vines when green are good food, but when dry they are very 



The same tree after lopping. 



liable to cause death from impaction of the bowels. Pickling onions, 

 cabbages, and potatoes (they should not constitute more than one-half of 

 the ration), and mangolds and turnips, can also be used. Bran and 

 pollard are usually too expensive to use for sheep, and (owing 

 to the improvements in milling machinery) they do not contain much 

 nourishment. They are, however, useful when mixed with other foods, 

 since they both contain a large percentage of crude protein matter. Linseed 

 •has always been recognised as a splendid stock food when used judiciously, 

 and cake broken up to pieces about the size of an almond (known as !' nuts") 

 and supplied to sheep at the rate of about 3 ounces of these per sheep per 

 <lay, fed by broadcasting as an additional ration, is useful in keeping sheep 

 in good condition. 



