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stacked three. For the want of water I was not enabled to 

 steep any ; and shall not now make the attempt till the spring. 

 My experiments with compound last year were satisfactory. I 

 am now feeding 14 horses and colts with straw and hay com- 

 pound. My plan is, to eight bushels of cut hay and eight 

 bushels of wheat-chaff are added 28 lbs. of crushed linseed 

 boiled in eighteen pails of water. I give the horses this quan- 

 tity at night in the yard. In addition, they have one pint of 

 pea-meal per day, and one hundredweight of straw per week. 

 The boiling linseed is poured upon the chaff, and both are 

 thoroughly mixed together. I intend giving my young stock 

 1^ lb. of linseed meal with a bushel of chaff daily ; my cows the 

 same. I made eight boxes last year ; this year I made twelve 

 more. I shall erect seven more in the spring, which will 

 enable me to keep all my cattle in boxes, except horses. Every- 

 body appears pleased with the box-feeding system; and I hope 

 will ultimately be the same with the flax cause. The country 

 appears to be awakened to the necessity of doing something for 

 our now too numerous poor. If you can give me any further 

 information for making straw compound I shall be obliged. I 

 have told you my plan. 



" Yours truly, 



"James Barker. 

 '■ Stour Hall, Ramsey, near Harwich, 

 October I6th, 1844." 



With reference to the exigencies of the present season, I 

 lately examined the roots, or knotted branches, of the too pro- 

 lific couch or guetch grass, and am of opinion that if properly 

 cleansed from mould, it would be found of much service. This 

 description of grass is often extricated in large quantities from 

 the soil and burned. But, if it were carefully washed, cattle 

 would eat it with avidity, particularly if compounded with 

 linseed. The experiment is to be tried shortly upon my pre- 

 mises, when the grass in question will be taken out of the land 

 with a fork, washed, cut into chaff, and incorporated with 

 linseed and straw. Perhaps others may be induced to rival my 

 attempt, and to favour the public also with the result of their 

 experience. Nothing ought to be considered too insignificant 



