24 ON BOX-FEEDING CATTLE. 



great avidity, and thrive fast upon it. The process is simple 

 — let some barley he steeped about two days, and the water 

 drained off. After the radical or root has gTown to nearly 

 a quarter of an inch in length, it must be well bruised by 

 the crushing- mill, and as mvich as possible forced into some 

 boiling- mucilag-e, containing- the same quantity of linseed, 

 but a fourth less of water than would have been prepared 

 for dry barley. Care must be taken lest the sprouts are 

 suffered to g-row beyond the prescribed length, or the 

 quality will be materially injured; therefore it will be 

 necessary to destroy their growth, by passing the barley 

 through the crushing mill. It may then be used at 

 pleasure. In August, when I was at Trimingham, Mr. 

 Warnes was using wheat for his compound, as he found 

 it was more profitable to feed his cattle upon it than 

 to sell it at the price then offered. The wheat was 

 steeped for twenty-four hours, then taken out of the 

 steep, and allowed to sprout, which it did in two or 

 three days; it was then put through the crushing mill. 

 Thi-ee pails of wheat were put into the boiling caiddron, 

 containing seven pails of water, it was well stirred, and one 

 pail of crushed linseed was sprinkled into the cauldron ; a 

 layer of cut clover, chaff', &c., was put into the half hogs- 

 head, two or three of the hand-cupfuls of the boiling mu- 

 cilage was then poured upon the cut clover, &c., it was then 

 well stirred and rammed down, and the same was repeated 

 imtil the cauldron was emptied. To lay down any general 

 rule for making the compound would be to destroy one of 

 the great advantages of the system; provide yourselves 

 from the resources of your farms, with whatever is neces- 

 sary to form cattle compound. The superiority of the cattle 

 compound to foreign oil-cake is explained by the fact that 

 the one, at the best, is merely the refuse of linseed ; while 

 the other is made of the seed itself. The real fattening pro- 

 perties of the compound is in the linseed ; and that in order 

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

 regulate the quantit}- of that important ingredient. Wheat, 

 oats, barley, straw, or bean stalks, may be used either with 

 or without turnips, according to circumstances; nothing* 

 more being- required than fibrous matter to act as a vehicle 

 for conveying the linseed to the stomach of the animal, and 

 for reconvejdng to the mouth for rumination. 



The following compound may be used with great advan- 

 tage for feeding sheep : — Let a quantity of linseed be re- 



