250 



USE OF COUCH-GRASS. 



stacked three. From the want of water I was not enabled to 

 steep any ; and shall not now make the attempt till the spring. 

 My experiments with compound last year were satisfactory. I 

 am now feeding 14 horses and colts with straw and hay com- 

 pound. My plan is^ to eight bushels of cut hay and eight 

 bushels of wheat-chaff are added 28 lbs. of crushed linseed 

 boiled in eighteen pails of water. I give the horses this quan- 

 tity at night in the yard. In addition, they have one pint of 

 pea-meal per day, and one hundredweight of straw per week. 

 The boiling linseed is poured upon the chaff, and both are 

 thoroughly mixed together. I intend giving my young stock 

 IJ lb. of linseed meal with a bushel of chaff daily ; my cows the 

 same. I made eight boxes last year ; this year I made twelve 

 more. I shall erect seven more in the spring, which will 

 enable me to keep all my cattle in boxes, except horses. 

 Everybody appears pleased with the box-feeding system ; and 

 I hope will ultimately be the same with the flax cause. The 

 country appears to be awakened to the necessity of doing- 

 something for our now too numerous poor. If you can give me 

 any further information for making straw compound, I shall be 

 obliged. I have told you my plan. 



''Yours truly, 



"James Barker. 

 " Stour Hall, Ramsey, near Harwich, g| 

 October IWi, 1844." M 



With reference to the exigencies of the present season, I 

 lately examined the roots, or knotted branches, of the too pro- 

 lific couch or guetch grass, and am of opinion that if properly 

 cleansed from mould, it would be found of much service. This 

 description of grass is often extricated in large quantities from 

 the soil and burned. But, if it were carefully washed, cattle 

 would eat it ^vith avidity, particularly if compounded with 

 * linseed. The experiment is to be tried shortly upon my pre- 

 mises, when the grass in question will be taken out of the land 

 with a fork, washed, cut into chaff, and incorporated with 

 linseed and straw. Perhaps others may be induced to rival 

 my attempt, and to favour the public also with the result of 

 their experience. Nothing ought to be considered too insig- 



