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barley, or (that which is better), bean meal. If steeped in 

 hot water, two days will do, if steeped longer than three, it 

 is apt to get a little sour, which I think not quite so well for 

 the beasts. There are annually great importations of lin- 

 seed, from which I conclude that it can be imported at a 

 less price than it can be produced here. It is grown pretty 

 extensively in some parts of the kingdom ; it is however to 

 be regretted that the cultivation of it cannot be more 

 general, and prevent the necessity of such great impor- 

 tations ; and thus circulate amongst the English farmers 

 a large sum of money which now finds its way into the 

 pockets of foreign fanners. It should however be borne in 

 mind that every ship-load of linseed or rape, or of cake 

 made of either, is so much manure brought from foreign 

 lands to enrich the land of this country. I have not yet 

 made such use of wheat in feeding as to enable me from 

 experience to speak decidedly about it. I have hitherto 

 used only my tailing wheat, ground with barley, and 

 thought it answered very well. But I hear of numbers of 

 beasts being now fed entirely with wheat ; and, it is said, 

 quite as well fed, and at a much less expense, than with oil 

 cake at its present price. The way of preparing it for feed- 

 ing is thus : steeped 36 hours ; then laid for five days on 

 a brick floor, turning it over once a-day ; then laid on a 

 boarded floor, about six inches thick ; in two days it will be 

 fit for use. One gallon and three quarters, in the grown 

 state, per day for each beast, is said to be about equal to 

 one bushel per week of dry wheat. Having lately seen one 

 ox that was said to have been entirely fed on wheat, leaves 

 no doubt in my mind that it must be a very nutritious food 

 for beasts ; I cannot, however, restrain some feelings of 

 regret that this grain, intended onlv for the use of man, 

 should be thus appropriated. Most likely, after two more 

 harvests, the price of beans and barley will correspond, as it 

 u&ed to do, with the price of wheat, and then it will no 

 longer be given as food for beasts. After all the great 

 trouble and expense of stall feeding, this mortifying circum- 

 stance has frequently occurred : the beasts are sold in the 

 Londcn market at a ruinous price to the stall-feeder, at less 

 than they would have made in any other market ; the 

 butchers knowing that the beasts, having been so much 



