FARMERS' REGISTER— RAW OR PREPARED FOOD FOR CATTLE. S59 



lbs. of Swedish turnips, 3 cwt. 3 qrs. of potatoes, 

 and 63 lb?, of bruised beans, being at the rate of 

 135 lljs. of turnips, 20 lbs. of potatoes, and 3 lbs. of 

 bruised beans lor each beast per day. While the 

 three heifers on steamed food had consumed m 

 the same space of seven days, about 37 cwt. 16 

 lbs. of turnips, being at the rate of 190 lbs. of tur- 

 nips, 20 lbs. ot potatoes, and 3 lbs. of bruised 

 beans per day for each beast, a dili'erence of 55 

 lbs. of turnips consumed by each beast on steamed 

 food per day more than what vi^as consumed by 

 those on raw food. 



On a pretty lengthened experiment made on 

 the difference of the weight of turnips before and 

 after being steamed, we tbund the result to be as 

 follows: — Upon turnips which had been taken 

 from the ground in the early part of February, 

 when they were tliU of juice, weight when raw 5 

 tons 8 cwt., after being steamed 4 tons 4 cwt. 3 qrs. 

 16 lbs., being a loss of weight in the process of 

 steaming of 1 ton 3 cwt. 12 lbs., or in round num- 

 bers, the turnips may be said to have lost nearly 

 one-fitth of their weight in the process of steam- 

 ing, and further we may mention, that they also 

 lost about one-fourth or one-fifth of their bulk. But 

 at an after period, when the turnips were lifted 

 from the ground after the middle of April, the loss 

 of weight in the steaming process was not near so 

 great, not being one-sixth of their raw weight in 

 place of one-fiftli as formerly stated. The loss of 

 weight on steaming potatoes was a mere nothing, 

 not being more than ^V^h part. Still, although the 

 cattle at this latter period, viz. the end of April 

 and beginning of May, did not consume quite so 

 much weight of turnips, they consumed fully more 

 bulk. The turnips having lost considerably in 

 weight in proportion to their former bulk, it now 

 requiring a larger cart-load to weigh 16 cwt. than 

 it did in the month of February; this circumstance 

 being easily accounted for, because the tops of the 

 turnips were now vegetating rapidly, and the bulb 

 losing its former sap. But in every case through- 

 out the whole course of the experiment, the dif 

 ference consumed by the cattle on steamed food 

 above those on raw, was about 55 lbs. of turnips 

 per day lor each beast. 



As formerly stated, the stots were allowed, in 

 addition to the turnips, 30 lbs. of potatoes each, 

 and 4^ lbs. of bruised beans, being 10 lbs. of po- 

 tatoes and 1^ lbs. of beans each beast more than 

 the heifers per day. In this case, the result was 

 exactly similar to that of the heifers, the stots on 

 the steamed tbod consuming about 55 lbs. per day 

 of turnips more than those on the raw food each 

 beast. 



The steamed food being 94 cwt. 14 lbs. of tur- 

 nips for twenty-eight days of two cattle, about 195 

 lbs. per day, and the raw food being 70 cwt. for the 

 same time, about 140 lbs. per day. The twenty- 

 eight days alluded to were the last twenty-eight 



days of the experiment, from the 22d of April till 

 ihe 20lh May. 



We may now be permitted to state, that our ex- 

 periment might very easily have shown different 

 results; that the cattle on steamed tbod might have 

 been shown to have consumed less instead of more 

 !ood, and as a necessary consequence, a great 

 shortcoming in the article of improvement, because 

 in the very outset of our experiment, we discover- 

 ed that it was necessary that the steamed food 

 hould be always fresh, or in other words, newly 

 done, and if it was old done, cold and sour, the 

 cattle would hardly eat it unless when very hun- 

 gry; in short, the quantity they would consume 

 might have been made to agree to the fresh or 

 sour state of the food when presented to them. If 

 warm and newly done, they would eat up their 

 feed with avidity, ii" cold and sour, they would not 

 taste it, unless compelled by hunger. We there- 

 lore resolved to give them their tbod always as 

 newly prepared as possible, thinking that the first 

 object of our experiment was to fatten both lots of 

 cattle as well as we could, and afterwards to cal- 

 culate the expense. We are quite aware, that to 

 have done a large quantity at one steaming, would 

 have lessened the expense both of coal and labor, 

 and also, by getting sour before being used, saved 

 a vast quantity of food. But we are equally well 

 aware, that by so doing we never could have fat- 

 tened our cattle on steamed food. And on the 

 other hand, had we restricted our different lots of 

 cattle to the same weight of food, those on steam- 

 ed food would not have had as much as they could 

 consume, provided the steamed food was properly 

 administered; and therefore, by a parity of reason- 

 ing, the cattle on the steamed food could not make 

 the same improvement as they would have done 

 on full keep. Our object has therefore been, as 

 formerly stated, to fatten both lots of cattle, and 

 afterwards calculate the different expense. 



A small quantity of salt was allowed the cattle 

 as a sort of condiment amongst their food. Those 

 on steamed food had it amongst their food when 

 being taken from off the steam; those on raw food 

 had It mixed with the bean-meal, at the rate of 

 about ^th of a lb. each beast per day. They did 

 not get any salt for the first ten days, but after be- 

 ing used to it for three weeks, we tried the cattle 

 on steamed food with one feed without salt. They 

 did not seem to relish it so well: we then put a 

 little salt on their food in the stall, and they at once 

 began to eat greedily; both those on steamed and 

 those on raw food were evidently fond of the salt. 

 We used the salt at the first, in order to prevent 

 the steamed food from getting so soon sour, which 

 had a very decided effect in this respect. In our 

 calculations of the value of keep, we have not 

 stated any thing lor straw consumed by the cattle, 

 as they were frequently supplied with litter of the 

 same sort of straw, not deeming the straw of any 

 other use than being made into diuig. 



