SECRETARY'S REPORT. 49 



difference of 55 lbs. of turnips consumed by each beast on steamed food 

 per day, more than what was consumed by those on raw food. 



" On a pretty lengthened experiment, made on the difference of the 

 weight of turnips before and after being steamed, we found the result to 

 be as follows : — Upon turnips which had been taken from the ground in 

 the early part of Febi'uary, when they were full of juice, weighed when 

 raw 5 tons 8 cwt. ; after being steamed, 4 tons 4 cwt. 3 qrs. 1 G lbs., 

 being a loss of weight in the process of steaming of 1 ton 3 cwt. 12 

 lbs., or, in round numbers, the turnips may be said to have lost nearly 

 J of their weight in the process of steaming; and further, we may 

 mention, that they also lost about ^ or ^ of their bulk. But at an 

 after period, when the turnips were lifted from the ground after the 

 middle of April, the loss of weight in the steaming process was not 

 near so great, not being i of their raw weight, in place of I, as 

 formerly stated. The loss of weight on steaming potatoes was a 

 mere nothing, not being more than ^ part. Still, although the cattle 

 at the latter period, viz., the end of April and beginning of May, did not 

 consume quite so much weight of turnips, they consumed fully more 

 bulk. The turnips having lost considerably in weight in proportion to 

 their former bulk, it now requiring a larger cart-load to weigh 16 cwt 

 than it did in the month of February ; this circumstance being easily 

 accounted for, because the tops of the turnips were now vegetating 

 rapidly, and the bulb losing its former sap. But in every case through- 

 out the whole course of the experiment, the difference consumed by the 

 cattle on steamed food above those on raw, was about 55 lbs. of turnips 

 per day for each beast. 



"As formerly stated, the steers were allowed, in addition to the 

 turnips, 30 lbs. of potatoes each, and ih lbs. of bruised beans, being 

 10 lbs. of potatoes, and 1^ lbs. of beans each beast more than the 

 heifers per day. la this case, the result was exactly similar to that of 

 the heifers, the steers on the steamed food consuming about 55 lbs. per 

 day of turnips more than those on raw food each beast. 



"The steamed food being 94 cwt. 14 lbs. of turnips for twenty-eight 

 days of two cattle, about 195 lbs. per day, and the raw food being 

 70 cwt. for the same time, about 140 lbs. per day. The twenty-eight 

 days alluded to were the last twenty-eight days of the experiment, fi-om 

 the 22d of April till the 20th of May. * * * 



" In our calculations of the value of the keep, we have not stated 

 any thing for straw consumed by the cattle, as they -were frequently 

 supplied with litter of the same sort of straw, not deeming the straw of 

 any other use than being made into dung." 



The following extracts from an annexed table are significant. 

 The weight of these cattle is given as follows : — 



7* 



