46 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



"We are not sure that there is any economy in steaming 

 English hay — beyond that which is always gained by cutting 

 the hay fine and mixing meal with it, where it is desirable to 

 feed meal. We arc not prepared to say, that the additional 

 expense of steaming is compensated by the increased nutritive 

 quality of the hay, or by the diminution of the amount 

 consumed. We cannot ascertain that experiments have been 

 made, sufficient to determine this point. 



There seems to be no doubt that steaming not only renders 

 the food more easily masticated, and thus provides against that 

 increased effort, which the best feeders have found to be an 

 obstacle in the way of fattening cattle on long and dry feed, but 

 it also develops certain nutritive qualities. Mr. Horsfall, for 

 instance, found that " bean-straw, uncooked, is dry and unpala- 

 table ; by the process of steaming it becomes soft and pulpy, 

 emits an agreeable odor, and imparts flavor and relish to the 

 mess." And he found also that when brought to a state which 

 was attractive to cattle, they obtained from it certain valuable 

 elements, such as albuminous matter, to a much larger degree 

 than they did from hay. " Bran also undergoes a great 

 improvement in its flavor by steaming, and it is probably 

 improved in its convertibility as food ; it contains about 14 per 

 cent, of albumen, and is peculiarly rich in phosphoric acid, 

 nearly 3 per cent, of its whole substance being of this material." 

 The flavor and value of rape-cake was also much improved by 

 steaming, and we have no doubt that the effect produced upon 

 bean-straw, bran and rape-cake, is also produced upon corn- 

 fodder, corn-meal, and oat and barley-straw. 



Mr. Mechi, in his extremely interesting volume, in discussing 

 the question of converting straw into manure, by treading it in 

 the yards as is practiced in England, or by steaming and feeding, 

 says : — 



"The cost of jireparing the straw for food, where steam is used, forms 

 no impediment to its profitable use as food. A ton of straw may, by 

 steam-power, be cut up into \ inch lengths for less than 3s. per ton ; by 

 liand-labor it would cost Gs. per ton. The steaming would cost very 

 little ; but even supposing the cost of boihng or steaming was 3s. per 

 ton, still there would be a manifest advantage in feeding out, and there 

 would be a saving in dung-lieaps or carting, in comparison with the 

 ordinary process. Mr. Ilursfall says : ' In wheat-straw, for which I pay 



