FEEDING STOCK. 45 



Mr. Black of Dalkeith, could speak from experience of the 

 benefit of salted feeding-, as he was in the habit of putting- a 

 piece of rock salt in his stalls, and of putting- pieces likewise 

 among-st his pastures, so covered that water could not melt 

 them. He found this to be of g-reat use. 



Captain Elphinstone, of Dalrjmple, said, Professor John- 

 ston having- alluded to the application of flax-seed to the 

 feeding- of cattle, he would state the result of an experiment 

 which he had made in the g-rowing- of that crop. He had 

 put an acre of land under that crop, and it produced 27^ 

 cwt. of flax. He had tried in this experiment various kinds 

 of manure, and six diflerent lands of seed. By this means 

 he had discovered the most advantageous description of seed 

 to use, and he was quite satisfied that they could g-row flax 

 as well as foreig-ners. The importance of this subject would 

 be apparent, when he informed them that this country paid 

 from 8,000,000/. to 9,000,000/. a year for fl-ax, and would it 

 not be better if they could g-row a quantity of that produce 

 for themselves? He did not find that flax was an exhaust- 

 ing- crop, as was supposed. Within his recollection turnips 

 were considered an exhausting- crop ; and by the application 

 of liquid manures, and the practice of a judicious system of 

 rotation, he believed flax would not be found more exhaust- 

 ing- to the ground than some other crops. He was deter- 

 mined, therefore, to try the experiment further next year, by 

 sowing- ten acres of flax. He was likewise g'oing- to Ireland 

 for the purpose of ascertaining- the best methods in use for 

 riddling- and cleaning- it, as he believed that in the district 

 in which he lived they could gTow as g'ood flax as any- 

 where. 



Mr. Home remarked, that if the farmers in this country 

 were to raise flax-seed for themselves, he thoug'ht it would 

 be of great advantag-e ; for when they looked at the immense 

 expense of the refuse of flax-seed in the shape of oil-cake, 

 and the value which was put upon it for the feeding- of cattle, 

 surely flax-seed itself Avas much more valuable. If they 

 directed their attention to the g-rowing- of flax-seed, and 

 could g-et a g-ood machine which would freely discharg-e the 

 crushed material, he thoug-ht every farmer mig-lit be enabled 

 to g-row that valuable food for his own cattle. 



Mr. Smith, late of Deanston, said, he was lately at a 

 show of implements, where a very perfect machine was 

 exhibited, which was not only capable of bruising linseed 

 and separating- it from the rollers, but was most effective for 



