96 



AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



been made upon ten to thirty head of cattle at A time, 

 and they have been continued from three to sis 

 months. The animals were weighed or measured al 

 the time of starting the experiment, at the close of 

 it, and generally at intermediate periods, partic-ulrtrly 

 when the food was varied ; and the quantity of root? 

 and other food given was accurately noted ; so that 

 the result has indicated the relative value of each 

 kind of food in the fattening process, and the besl 

 mode of feeding it. The committee proceed to state, 

 in a summary way, the results of some of these ex 

 periments. 



1. The relative value of different roots. 

 Mr. Howden, with a view to the experiment, set 

 apart the product of two acres of mangold-wurzel, 

 amounting to fifty tons, five acres of Swedish tur- 

 nips, being 140 tons, and two acres of potatoes, 

 weighing 29 tons 4 cwt. The experiment was made 

 with 21 head of cattle, which received, in addition to 

 the roots, a few distillers' grains and a little straw. 

 The following table shows the roots appropriated to 

 each lot, and the monthly increase of the animals in 

 girth. The abstract is made from the prize essays 

 of the society, which cannot now be referred to ; but 

 the impression is, that in all the experiments which 

 we quote, the roots fed to each lot was precisely the 

 same in weight. Lot No. 1 was fed from the pro- 

 duct of one acre of potatoes, one acre of mangold- 

 wurzel, and one acre of Swedish turnips ; No. 2 

 from one acre of potatoes and two acres of Swedish 

 turnips ; and No. 3 from one acre of mangold-wur- 

 zel and two acres of Swedish turnips. 



