220 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



The above experiments appear to show that where 

 roots are sufficiently plentiful, that a daily allowance 

 of J to J cwt. for a two-year-old bullock is a satisfactory 

 quantity. 



The kind of root-crop fed also deserves considera- 

 tion ; e.g., feeding trials at the Harper Adams 

 Agricultural College showed that 44-1 Ibs. mangels 

 were approximately equal for fattening purposes to 

 27 Ibs. sugar beets. Generally speaking, one may 

 assume the relative values of roots to be in proportion 

 to the dry matter they contain 



When roots are scarce, it is necessary to substitute 

 for them concentrated foods, treacle, etc., but experi- 

 ments have not shown that an adequate substitute 

 can be found for roots ; e.g., Professor Seton reported 

 in 1904 (Yorkshire College), in connection with 

 bullock - feeding trials, that " treacle cannot satis- 

 factorily take the place of roots in a fattening ration.'* 

 Professor Middleton also found (Cockle Park, 1903) 

 that, with bullocks receiving 56 Ibs. roots (swedes 

 chiefly), this could not be effectively replaced by 28 

 Ibs. roots, 2j Ibs. seeds hay, \ Ib. maize meal, and 

 Ib. treacle, seeing that live weight increase in the 

 former case cost 443. 6d. per cwt., and in the latter 513. 

 per cwt. 



Concentrates. The basal part of the ration for 

 a fattening bullock consists of fodder crops (chiefly 

 oat- straw) and roots, both of which are poor in 

 nutrient constituents ; and as the animal consuming 

 these foods can only lay on flesh from the digested 

 nutrients which are in excess of maintenance require- 

 ments, it follows that concentrated foods must be 

 employed to raise the character of the ration, and that 

 such concentrated foods should be used as will make 



