CATTLE FATTENED ON LINSEED. 



133 



in the formation of one of those useful and patriotic institutions 

 called ''Farmers' Clubs/' at North Walsham, in the autumn 

 of 1840. The club meets once in each month. The desir- 

 ableness of fattening cattle on home-made food rather than on 

 foreign produce^ was a subject brought forward at one of those 

 meetings. I therefore had coppers erected, and commenced a 

 series of experiments by incorporating linseed with corn or 

 pulse, which ended in the production of the desired substitute 

 for foreign oil-cake. 



The last of my experimental bullocks for 1841 was dis- 

 posed of at Christmas, at 85. 6c?. per stone. He weighed 

 60 stone 5 lbs., at 14 lbs. to the stone: cost 71. \7s, 6d. 

 thirteen months previously: so that he paid 17/. 10^. for 

 little more than one year's keeping. His common food was 

 turnips or grass: 14 lbs. a-day of barley or peas compound 

 were given him for forty- eight weeks, and an unlimited quan- 

 tity the last five weeks; when, considering the shortness of 

 that time, his progress was perfectly astonishing — not only to 

 myself, a constant observer, but to many graziers and butchers 

 who had had occasional opportunities of examining him. 

 Altogether the weight of compound consumed did not exceed 

 two tons four hundredweight, at the cost of only 31 I6s. 

 per ton. 



From the above period the same practice has been continued 

 upon my farm, both in summer and in winter, with never-fail- 

 ing success. Some additions, and perhaps improvements, have 

 been made, as the inquirer will find by referring to the Index ; 

 but the original principle has remained unaltered. Instead, 

 however, of twelve, my cattle have been regularly sent to 

 market every six months, obtaining profits such as prove the 

 superiority of the system over every other. Of this fact indis- 

 putable evidence is given in my last public letter that appeared 

 in the ' Norfolk Chronicle' on the 20th of February, 1846,— a 

 letter that may be regarded as the compendium of my labours, 

 and which now occupies an appropriate place in this volume 

 (See page 60). 



