158 FEEDING WITH LINSEED JELLY. 



neither freeze, nor be so warm as to sprout. It is 

 better to have the temperature a little too cold, than 

 a little too warm. In the latter case decay will 

 speedily commence, and toward spring, when the roots 

 begin to sprout, their value will rapidly decrease; all 

 their more valuable and soluble parts being abstracted 

 by th e shoot, leaving little more behind than woody 

 fibre and water. 



In England, a system of feeding with a species of 

 linseed jelly, has been very highly spoken of during 

 the last few years. Linseed is thoroughly boiled 

 in water, 1 lb. to 2 gallons; and when the w r ater 

 is sufficiently concentrated, the whole is poured into 

 little boxes; then as much fine-cut straw as conve- 

 nient is added, and the whole thoroughly stirred toge- 

 ther. As the mixture cools, the linseed forms the 

 contents of each box into a mass of stiff jelly, capa- 

 ble of being turned out and of retaining its shape : it 

 is fed to cattle in that state. This is an extremely 

 nutritious, and also a very fattening food. Sometimes 

 a little bean or peas meal is also stirred in; either of 

 these make the compound richer in nitrogen, and 

 therefore better adapted to the formation of muscle. 

 The results of this system of feeding have been en- 

 tirely satisfactory, so far as we have any reports of 

 its success. 



Cooked food, allowed to sour, has been found in 

 many cases remarkably fattening, particularly as fed 

 to swine. The souring should, of course, not be al- 

 lowed to go on to the extent of strong fermentation. 

 It is probable that the efficacy of this soured food, is 

 due to a still farther action upon the starch, than the 

 one noticed in a preceding paragraph. Not only has 

 heat the power of converting it into sugar, gum, etc., 

 but certain acids also. 



a. By mixing a certain portion of dilute sulphuric 

 acid with starch in weighed quantity, and exposing 



