314 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



apparently deficient in quantity, is very nearly right in 

 proportion, and proved, practically, a full ration for these 

 steers. It is quite certain, in this case, that the 4 Ibs. of 

 sorghum molasses added much to the gain. We had pre- 

 viously tried a like experiment upon a work horse that had 

 become thin, and added 100 Ibs. to his weight, in 35 days, 

 with the three pints of molasses upon clover-hay, but the 

 clover-hay was given ad libitum, and not weighed. The 

 author has often used one pound of molasses simply to 

 flavor the food, and found it to pay excellently well, by in- 

 ducing a better appetite for food, so that more has been 

 eaten. In England, the locust bean (so called, being made 

 from the fruit pods of the locust tree raised in Southern 

 Europe), which contains a large amount of sugar has been 

 used; but I am not aware that it has ever been imported 

 here. 



A very good condimental food may be made by combin- 

 ing the following materials : 



Articles. Lbs. 



Linsed oil-cake 35 



Flax-seed 10 



Molasses 20 



Corn-meal 40 



Ground turmeric root 1> 



Ginger Q 



Carraway-seed 



Articles. Lbs. 



Gentian 



Cream of tartar o 



Sulphur 1 



Common salt 1 



Coriander-seed . . 0< 



Total . . .100 



The flax-seed may be boiled in 10 gallons of water until 

 it forms a thin mucilage ; then stir in the turmeric, ginger, 

 carraway, gentian, cream of tartar, sulphur, common salt 

 and coriander ; now add the molasses, then the corn-meal 

 and ground oil-cake, stirring it well together. If it is de- 

 signed to keep it long, it may be dried in a hot-air chamber 

 or oven, at about steam heat, after which it will require 

 grinding for convenient use ; but the materials may all be 

 ground together in their natural state if manufactured for 

 commercial purposes. There may be a great variety of 

 formulas ; but this is as good as any of the condimental 

 foods, and is not expensive. 



