1858.] SENATE— No. 4. ♦ 203 



proper proportions. What proportions are the proper ones, we have 

 at present no means of knowing with accuracy. Tiie ordinary kinds 

 of food for cattle, contain a large quantity of vegetable fibre or woody 

 matter, which is more or less indigestible, but which is indispensable 

 to the welfare of the herbivorous animals, as their digestive organs are 

 adapted to a bulky and rough food. (See analysis V.) The addition 

 of a small quantity of a food rich in oil and albuminous substances, 

 to the ordinary kinds of feed, has been found highly advantageous in 

 practice. Neither hay alone, nor concentrated food alone, gives the 

 best results. A certain combination of the two presents the most 

 advantages. 



For fattening animals, and for increasing the yield and quality of 

 , milk, linseed-cake has long been held in high estimation. This is to 

 be expected from its composition. The muscle of flesh and the curd 

 of milk are increased in quantity, because the albuminous substances 

 of the linseed constitute an abundant and ready source of them ; the 

 fat of the animal and the butter of the milk are increased by the pres- 

 ence in the food of so much oil and mucilaginous matters. 



A year or two since Mr. M'Lugan, of Scotland, reported in the 

 Journal of the Highland Society, some trials on the value as food of 

 linseed-cake, cotton-seed cake, and bean-meal. Analysis III. repre- 

 sents the composition of the cotton-cake ; IV. that of the linseed-cuke. 

 The bean-meal has 25 per cent, of albuminous matters, but 1^ per 

 cent, of oil, and correspondingly more of the bodies that have the 

 same nutrient function as the mucilaginous and saccharine matters. 

 Six animals of nearly equal size and quality were fed during three 

 months in winter, with all the turnips and straw they would eat, and 

 in addition, two of them received daily four pounds of linseed-cake, 

 two, four pounds of cotton-seed cake, and two, four pounds of bean- 

 meal. The animals thrived as well on the cotton-seed cake as on the 

 other kinds of food — as shown by their appearance, and by their 

 weight when slaughtered. 



When linseed-cake is fed in too large quantity, it purges the animal. 

 The quality of beef is excellent when the daily dose of oil cake does 

 not exceed six pounds for an animal of 700 pounds. Cases are on 

 record where more than this quantity has spoiled the beef, giving it a 

 taste like' tallow. 



Probably like results would follow excessive feeding with cotton- 

 seed cake. In the best cotton districts of India, the cotton-seed bears 

 a high value as food for fat cattle, I know of no experiments with it on 

 milch cows, but it is to be expected that here also it will have the same 

 effects as linseed-cake. 



A Bavarian farmer has recently announced that heifers fed for three 



