WASTE-PRODUCT EATIONS. 303 



that English cattle-feeders employ these cakes to excess, or 

 beyond the point of profitable feeding. Eight pounds is a 

 common ration with them for a 2^-year old steer, and for 

 older animals sometimes 10 to 12 Ibs. per day. This ap- 

 pears to be a simple waste of albuminoids and oil ; for this 

 part of the ration alone would give from 2.70 Ibs. to 3.30 

 Ibs. of albuminoids when the whole ration, according to 

 German experiments, only requires 2.50 Ibs., and from 0.80 

 to 1.60 Ibs. of oil, instead of 50-100 pounds. 



The true use for these concentrated foods is as a mixture 

 with straw, poor hay, chaff, corn-fodder and roots, or other 

 food poor in albuminoids. A million of cattle are fattened 

 every year in the West upon corn and its stalks. This 

 grain is our best fattening food, but is deficient in albu- 

 minoids, and, from its excess of starch, is apt to create a 

 feverish condition of the system. Now the use of even 

 two pounds of oil-cake or meal per day will counteract 

 this, and keep the stomach and bowels in proper condition. 

 Cattle that are kept upon corn and dry corn-stalks through 

 the winter are often attacked with what is called " impac- 

 tion of the manifolds," or third stomach. This would sel- 

 dom, if ever, occur with a moderate use of oil-cake ; for 

 this would counteract the feverish tendency, supply what 

 the corn is deficient in, and, by its oil, keep up a healthy 

 condition of the whole system. We have found linseed-oil 

 cake to have a similar effect upon -cattle in winter as grass 

 in summer ; and there can be no doubt that this and decor- 

 ticated cotton-seed cake are of great value to be fed with 

 other foods. That the reader may see how various are the 

 combinations that may be made of these cakes with other 

 foods, we will give some examples. 



