212 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



saving effected in the consumption of roots, by the avoidance of the 

 waste above noticed, but it seemed as if the sliced roots " went 

 farther," as the phrase goes, in feeding than did the whole roots, as the 

 animals required or, at all events, took less to produce the same 

 results. Another advantage was obtained from the system namely, 

 that it enabled the sliced roots to be easily mixed with other feeding 

 materials. Amongst those were cut straw or hay ; the cutting of 

 which by machinery, introduced about the same period as the slicing of 

 roots by the same agency, seemed to " fit in " very aptly, enabling the 

 feeder to carry out quite a new system of giving food. 



Seeing, then, the benefits in more ways than one of dividing or 

 slicing the roots given to cattle, it seemed to some feeders that it was 

 only necessary to carry the principle farther by mincing the roots 

 that is, cutting and cross-cutting them till they assumed the form of 

 small pieces. Others, again, conceiving that the principle could be 

 carried even to its utmost limits with advantage, adopted the system of 

 " pulping " roots, after the same manner as carrots are grated by the 

 cook. The idea being that the finer the subdivision the more rapidly 

 would their assimilation into the system be, and that therefore the less 

 weight would be consumed to give the same results. 



From experiments made in the feeding with pulped roots, as already 

 detailed, it was shown that this system of pulping was successful in 

 some instances. But it was gradually noticed that cattle did not 

 advance so rapidly or thrive so well on the finely divided roots as 

 on the simply sliced ones. And a little study of the physiological 

 condition of the case would show how this was likely to arise. An ox 

 or a cow has a very large stomach. It requires, therefore, bulk in its 

 food in order to fill it ; and it is only when filled, or moderately so, 

 that its functions are performed properly, and rumination is aided. 

 Now the pulped food being capable of compression, and lying closely 

 together, did not possess the necessary bulk. But another point was 

 discovered in connection with pulped food ; it being presented to the 

 animal in a finely comminuted condition, it was capable of being 

 swallowed without being first masticated ; and the animal, as a rule, 

 was found so to swallow it that mastication was neglected. Now we 

 know that mastication in itself produces very healthy effects, and hence 

 the necessity of its being encouraged. We do not here pretend to give 

 this statement as that of the facts as they actually came up in the 

 sequence of practice, and as those which influenced the question of 

 pulping, and caused it to be much less frequently used than it was at 

 one time ; but the probability is that they followed pretty closely the 

 line we have indicated. That line we have been somewhat careful to 

 explain fully, inasmuch as it may be taken as an example of how 

 certain practices may be analysed, so to say, and the reasons made 

 clear why they are either followed out more and more exclusively, or, 

 on the other hand, gradually given up. That pulping m&y be useful 

 on some occasions in feeding stock is clear enough ; and by a judicious 

 use of it along with other methods of giving food, the disadvantages it 

 presents, as named above, may be got rid of. One lesson, however, 



