182 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



part to the unsuitable proportion of those classes of nutritive sub- 

 stances ; for if highly nutritive substances, such as the turnip and 

 grains, contain a relatively much larger proportion of albuminous 

 compounds, then it may be expected that in the straw the small 

 quantity of these substances will cause the assimilation of only a 

 proportionate quantity of the respiratory elements, and the surplus will 

 be wasted. Hence, also, the use of highly-nitrogenous foods, such as 

 oil-cake and bean-meal, along with straw, must be considered good 

 practice. 2nd, It may be fairly anticipated that the insoluble portion 

 of the nutritive matter will in general be of little, or possibly sometimes 

 of no, use. 3rd, Owing to the difficulty with which the soluble matters 

 pass into solution in water, a considerable part of them may escape 

 digestion. And in this respect, the contrast between straw and turnip 

 is very marked. In the latter, the larger proportion of the constituents 

 are not only soluble, but already dissolved in the 90 per cent, of water 

 present ; but in the former they are not dissolved, but are in the solid 

 state in the dry straw, and must undergo the process of solution, which 

 is effected during mastication and rumination. The difficulty of 

 dissolving the soluble matters of straw in cold water has been already 

 adverted to, and even when warm water is used the process is slow, 

 and requires considerable time. From this it may be concluded that 

 straw ought to be well moistened and steamed before being used. 

 4th, The large proportion of woody fibre existing in all straws must 

 interfere materially with the production of the full effect of the nutritive 

 ingredients. 



" Notwithstanding these drawbacks, the general conclusion to be 

 drawn from this inquiry is that straw, and more especially oat straw, 

 possesses a very considerable nutritive value, but that it is most 

 advantageously used along with the more highly nitrogenised foods. 

 It must be observed, also, that, in a mechanical point of view, it may 

 even have its uses in the intestines, and by giving bulk and firmness to 

 the mass of food contained in them, assist the process of digestion and 

 absorption." 



The use of straw as a feeding substance for live stock has largely 

 increased since the issue of the last edition of this work, and with 

 results at once economical and beneficial. Given in its natural form, 

 or long condition, the lowest results are, as may be supposed, obtained, 

 for not only is much of the straw wasted by being trampled under foot 

 by the animals, but it is presented to them in the least convenient 

 form, so to say, and certainly in that which is far from being the most 

 palatable. To overcome the dislike which some cattle have for it, 

 and the difficulty which all display at first eating it, the practice of 

 cutting the straw into "chaff" or "chop" as it is called, or short 

 lengths by the straw-cutting machine, has been of late introduced. 

 This, although better liked and less wasted by the animals, cannot 

 at the best be said to be a " toothsome " or tempting article of food ; 

 and there is a difficulty to get some animals to take to it at all kindly 

 they never do. To overcome the difficulty, the chaff is mixed with other 

 and more palatable feeding stuffs, as meal, ground oil-cake, crushed 



