Sheep- Feeding Experiments. 



19 



In his comments on the results of these experiments, Mr 

 Middleton points out that they throw some further light on 

 the very different estimates put upon the feeding value of 

 swedes by different authorities. " When contrasted with 

 drier foods, their chemical composition gives them a very 

 low place, a place which no North Country man accustomed to 

 feed cattle under cover assigns to them. The different esti- 

 mates placed upon their value are usually ascribed to a 

 variation in the composition of turnips grown in different 

 parts of the country. This is partly the reason, but there 

 are two others, the first of which has biassed the opinion of 

 the practical and the second that of the 'theoretical' 

 feeder. These reasons are : (1) Because a watery food like 

 the swede can only give the highest results of which it is 

 capable when the animal is warm and sheltered ; (2) because, 

 although the digestible food contained in swedes is worth 

 more, at any rate when used for house-feeding, than the 

 digestible food contained in hay and straw, this fact has not 

 been generally recognised. The feeder wishes the fattening 

 animal to do the minimum amount of work, and for his 

 purpose the digestible matter of the swede Avould always 

 have a higher value than the same quantity of digestible 

 matter in hay, w r ere it not for the large amount of water con- 

 tained in the former. This decreases the value of the root- 

 crop as a food for animals exposed to cold and wet." 



Another interesting experiment in sheep-feeding described 

 in the Report of the Agricultural Department of the Durham 

 -College of Science was conducted by Mr. Lawrence at the 

 Cumberland County Council Farm in continuation of some- 

 what similar experiments in previous years. On October 

 23rd, 60 half-bred Border Leicester and Cheviot lambs in good 

 condition were divided into three equal lots. Twenty were 

 penned on yellow turnips, and received in addition to the 

 turnips -Jib. of linseed cake and Jib. of oats per head per day 

 with hay ad lib. ; another 20 were placed on grass, where 

 they received the same allowance of cake, corn, hay, and 

 turnips, carted to them. The third 20 were penned on 

 turnips and received hay, but no cake and corn. At 

 the end of seven weeks Lot 3 was allowed the same 



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