On increasing our Supj)lies of Animal Food. 



367 



pound of increased weight in a third, there had been a consump- 

 tion of 56J oz. of linseed and beans (mixed in the proportion of 

 3 and 2) ; while in a fourth instance, the same growth had been 

 effected during the consumption of only 46 oz. of linseed by 

 itself. It appears, therefore, that it is economical to use linseed 

 whole rather than the mere husks of it which we obtain in oil-cake.* 

 In all the former cases it was ground to meal and boiled in water 

 enough to make a mucilage, and then thrown over chaff enough 

 to make nearly a bushel of the porridge to every beast, the bran 

 and other meal being first dusted over the whole and incorpo- 

 rated with it. In the last the linseed was given to the sheep whole, 

 and they ate it out of troughs as they ate the oil-cake. Mr. Warnes 

 has latterly recommended the linseed to be given in a cold mucilage, 

 which can be obtained at less cost by the mere soaking of the meal 

 in cold water for a day and a half One measure of linseed meal 

 is to be placed in 7 measures of water stirred up and allowed 

 to stand; it will forma jelly in about 30 hours, and may then 

 be thrown over chaff, and used with other meal just as the hot 

 solution is : cattle, it is said, are found to do as well on the cold 

 as on the warm food. I have no experience to offer on this 

 assertion, but I should doubt it. 



* I extract a passage on this subject by Mr. Valentine, of Leighton Buzzard, in the 

 ' Agricultural Gazette.' He says : — c; Our fatting cattle still continue to thrive very- 

 fast upon the prepared food. We weighed a quantity of meal, hay, and turnips, and 

 by this means ascertained the cost per head over a lot of 28. The meal is a mixture of 

 linseed, lentils, and bailey, in about equal proportions, and costs, including grinding, 

 Id. per lb. The hay consumed on the ground where it was grown we value at 21. per 

 ton; the turnips we value at Id. per cwt., or about lis. Sd. per ton. The following 

 account will therefore show the cost of each beast per week : — 



s. d. 



" 5f lbs. meal per day, at Id. per lb., or 40 lbs. per week .... 3 4 



" 56 lbs. turnips per day for seven days, at Id. per cwt. ..... 2 0^ 



li 20 lbs. hay chaff per day, or 140 lbs. per week, at 2s. per cwt. ..26 



" Cost of food per week 7 10^ 



" Attendance and interest upon capital employed, about Id. per week . 0 1 



" Total cost 7 1U 



" The system of preparing and giving the food is nearly similar to Mr. Warnes's, and 

 need not be repeated here. Butchers who have inspected our stock annually, and 

 previous to the adoption of feeding on prepared food, confidently assert that the beasts 

 thrive faster now than before. We are quite satisfied that this is the case, and ought 

 not to omit to state that the unprepared food cost from 12s. to even 16s. per week per 

 head, in the years 1 S45 and 1846. Beasts of equal ages and equal sizes, when tried 

 upon prepared and unprepared food, consumed by far the largest quantity of raw food, 

 without a corresponding increase in size or value. I recently saw some fatting beasts 

 living upon hay and oil-cake, at an expense of 18s. per week, and thought such a svstem 

 enough to ruin a mint. I have no personal interest in recommending the fatting of 

 cattle on prepared food, apart from a desire of diffusing an econominal system of farm 

 management. But should any'one feel desirous of more detail, I shall be happy to 

 furnish it. Butchers have given us 10s. per week for allowing half-fed beasts to live on 

 the prepared food, and are satisfied with the proportionate increased value of their 

 animals." 



