FEEDING OF SUGAR TO CATTLE. 305 



horses and cattle were thoroughly appreciated in the early part 

 of the century; attention was called to the fact that when put 

 to grass they " will begin to fill and thrive forthwith." On the 

 other hand, "cattle, taken from a straw-yard where they have 

 been indifferently fed during the winter, must be a considerable 

 time on the grass before they recover from the starvation, and, 

 consequently, take up so much time and food to no other pur- 

 pose, which a thriving animal will convert to immediate profit." 

 Some enthusiasts went so far as to insist upon it that sugar was 

 in reality the principal nutrient found in all feeding stuffs, 

 which has long since been proven to be a very erroneous hypo- 

 thesis. 



Experiments were made upon various animals to deter- 

 mine the practical effects of sugar-feeding; one of the most 

 interesting of these was on an old horse, eighteen years of age, 

 which had been turned out to grass, but which in time was 

 nothing but flesh and bones, and was condemned to be shot; 

 the first week's feeding was with hay and straw, chaff and one- 

 quarter pound molasses diluted with water; the oats allowance 

 was reduced to a quart a day. After eight days the molasses 

 allowance was increased to half a pound per diem, and at the 

 end of a " fortnight there was a visible alteration in the appear- 

 ance of the horse. ' ' After the third week the molasses allow- 

 ance was still further increased and the animal fed underwent 

 a complete change. In feeding cows with sugar some special 

 advice was given. "It is of particular importance to be very 

 economical as to the quantity given; for whilst a small addition 

 of it to their usual food will be found to improve the quality of 

 their milk, too much, and but a very little too much, will cause 

 them to run to beef more, perhaps, than milk * * * brown 

 sugar is found to contain a considerable quantity of vegetable 

 or essential oil * * * the use of molasses must be the means of 

 a great increase of profit to the butter dairy, and particularly as 

 it can be so conveniently had in winter time, when succulent 

 food is scarce." If sugar were employed in winter, it would 

 diminish the quantity of butter imported. "Sugar or molasses 

 will never from its purity impart any bad taste to the milk, 

 whilst turnips and cabbages, the principal dependence in winter, 

 20 



