1839] 



FARMERS' REGSITER. 



233 



measure or weight is concerned, it matters little 

 which were employed in feeding. We will note 

 here for future reference, the product per acre, ot 

 each kind of roots, upon Mr. Howden's ground, 

 adding the product in bushels of 56 lbs. 



The potatoes gave 12 tons 4 cwt. equal to 288 

 bushels. 



The mangel wurtzel 25 tons equal to 1000 

 bushels. 



The ruta baga 28 tons, equal to 1,120 bushels. 



2. The comparative economy of feeding raw or 

 prepared food. 



In 1833 the society offered a premium of 30 

 sovereigns for the best report, founded on actual 

 experiment made for that purpose, on a number of 

 oxen or heifers, not fewer than six, the animals to 

 be of the same breed, age and sex, and the term 

 of feeding not less than three months. Several 

 reports were received and published in 1834. 

 From these we abstract the following : 



Mr. Walker made his experiment with six two 

 year heifers, and four two year old steers. Each 

 parcel was divided into two lots, and fed on like 

 food, except that one half received their food raw, 

 and the other half in a steamed or cooked state. 

 The food consisted of Swedish turnips, potatoes 

 and crushed beans, with a little salt and straw. At 

 the end of three months, it was found that the 

 three heifers fed on steamed food had gained 48| 

 stone, or 679 lbs., and the three heifers fed upon 

 raw food had gained 45^ stone ; but the quantity 

 consumed by the first lot exceeded that of the lat- 

 ter. 



Cost of feeding on steamed food, £ 14 1 3 

 " on raw food, - - 10 8 7^ 



The first coet more than the last, 3 14 8^ 

 Deducting ihe first cost, and the price of fatten- 

 ing from the price paid by the butcher, there re- 

 mained a profit on the three heifers led with 

 steamed food, of 9s ; while the profit on the three 

 fattened with raw Ibod, amounted to £3 10s Qd. 

 By a like estimate, the loss on the steers fed with 

 steamed food was 3s 8d. and the profit on those fed 

 with raw food 10s. Qd, 



Andrew Howden made a like experiment with 

 18 cattle in six lots. Their increase and expense 

 of keeping for three months, from the 20lh March 

 to the 20th of June, were as follows : 



lacr. in lbs. Expense. 



Three heifers on raw turnips, 392 £6 16 



" on steamed turnips, 532 8 18 



" on raw potatoes, 600 10 7 



" on steamed potatoes, 572 10 7 



Three steers on raw potatoes and 



corn, - - 722 9 4 



" on boiled potatoes and 



corn, - - 689 9 5 



John Baswell fed ten horned cattle. The ex- 

 pense of keeping the five cattle on raw food was 

 £32 2 1, wliile that of the cattle on prepared 

 food was £34 5 10. On being slaughtered Ihe 

 two lots appeared to be very similar, but the par- 

 ticular weight is not mentioned- 



3. Relative economy of feeding With turnips alone, 

 or with turnips and other more expensive food. 



Robert Stevenson was the successful compe- 

 titor for the society's premium. He took IS ox- 

 Vol. VII-30 



en ; their live weight was ascertained at the be- 

 ginning, at the end, and at intermediate peri- 

 ods of the experiment, which continued 119 days. 

 The cattle were divided into three lots of six 

 beasts each, and a correct account was kept of the 

 weight of food consumed by each lot. Lot 1, was 

 allowed linseed cake, bruised beans, and bruised 

 oats, in addition to turnips, and during the last 

 24 days of the experiment, 20 lbs. of potatoes 

 were given per day to each. Lot 2, received the 

 same allowance except the linseed cake and half 

 the potatoes. And lot 3, was fed upon turnips 

 alone. The cost of the keep of each animal, 

 during the 119 days, was as below : 



Total cost of feeding one beastoflotl, £5 2 7 

 do do do of lot 2, 3 17 



do do do of lot 3, 1 18 7^ 



The improvement in live weight was as follows 

 First lot increased in weight 108 stone. 

 Second do do 101 " 



Third do do 49 " 



Abstracting the cost of feeding from the valut 

 of the increased weight, (he loss and profit wouk 

 stand as follows : 



Loss on feeding lot 1, - - £3 15 8^ 

 Profit on feeding lot 2, - - 1 19 3^ 



Profit on feeding lot 3, - - 2 111 



"Thus, when turnips alone were used, a pro- 

 fit of twenty-two per cent was realized ; where 

 beans and oats were used along with the turnip, 

 the profit was diminished to eight and a half per 

 cent ; but when still more expensive food was tried, 

 that is, grain and linseed cake, along with turnips 

 and potatoes, a loss was sustained of no less than 

 12 3— 16 per cent." 



Lot 1, were the largest oxen. They were fed 

 each with 132 lbs. per day of Swedish turnips; 

 lot 2, were fed each with 120 lbs. of the same 

 per day ; and lot 3, being the smallest, received 

 but 115 lbs. per day, and for twenty-four days, but 

 ninety-two pounds. 



Lot 1, cost 4,484 pence for every lb. of increased 



live weight. 

 Lot 2, '• 3.92 " «' « 



Lot 3, " 3.39 '< « « 



The turnips were estimated at four pence per 

 cwt ; the potatoes at Is. 6d. per cwt. ; oats and 

 beans at 3s. 6d. per bushel, and linseed cake at 

 three-fourths of a [)enny per pound. 



"In conclusion "saj's Mr. Stevenson, "on this 

 part of the subject, "we give it as our opinion, 

 that whoever feeds cattle on turnips alone, will 

 have no reason on the score of profit, to regret 

 their not having employed more expensive aux- 

 iliaries to hasten the Irittening process." 



It would seem pretty evident, from the forgo- 

 ing experiments, that ruta baga and mangel 

 wurtzel are the best root crops lor feeding cattle. 

 The profit of cultivating and feeding these roots 

 will be more manifest, if we compare their acre- 

 able product with that of hay, potatoes, and the 

 coarse grains which we feed lor fatteningaiiimals. 

 To enable the comtuittee to make this comparison, 

 they assume tiie following as the average products 

 of crops, and aitai-h to each of these an estimate 

 of their marketable value. Both the product and 

 the prices will irreatly vary ; but those assumed 

 are deemed sufllciciitly correct lor compariEOn. 



