5S ON THE FEEDING OF STOCK 



however unpalatable, to satisfy tliat craving" which an 

 empty stomach is sure to produce. Thoug'h, however, an 

 animal will swallow a certain portion of food for which he 

 has no relish, rather than lie down with an emjity sto- 

 mach, he will not fill himself properly imless he likes his 

 food ; and, on the other hand, if an unlimited supply of 

 favourite food be furnished to him, he will take it in 

 quantities injurious to his health. The following- is a case 

 in point : — 



"Before tying- up the twelve bullocks, mentioned in a 

 former part of this letter, I desired that they might have a 

 fair allowance of Swede turnips given them for a short time, 

 lest a too sudden change of diet should disagree. They, ac- 

 cordingly, had four or five stones of Swede turnips per head, 

 daily, and with this they did well ; consuming-, at the same 

 time, a considerable quantity of straw. After having given 

 this quantity for a week or two, I increased their allowance 

 of turnips ; and, finding- their appetites kept pace with their 

 increased allowance, I ordered them as much as they would 

 eat. At the end of about a month, I found they were each 

 consuming- about fourteen or fifteen stones of turnips daily, 

 and th-at they ate no straw. This was continued for a short 

 time, in consequence of my apparatus for boiling- linseed not 

 being- completed as soon as I had expected. And I found, 

 that though the turnips were sound and good, the animals' 

 bowels began to be affected, their coats grew rough and 

 staring, and the purging- increased to such an extent that, 

 without a change of meat, dysentery and inflammation of 

 the bowels would have been the result. The same turnips, 

 when given in so limited a quantity that they were obliged 

 to eat a certain quantity of straw to fill their stomachs, 

 ag-reed perfectly well ; but when they could fill themselves 

 with turnips, they refused the straw, and became ill in con- 

 sequence. This might, probably, not have occurred had 

 the straw been very good, which it was not ; but it is a 

 g'ood instance to show the importance of a well-regulated 

 diet. 



" As soon as they were fed with the prepared linseed, and 

 had but fifty pounds of tiu-nips per head per day, they at 

 once recovered their health. Other instances, also, liave 

 come under m^^ own observation, where severe purging- has 

 been brought on by improper diet. I have seen it produced 

 by mangel-wurzel, by carrots, and by potatoes, when given 

 in large quantities. 



