20 



Sheep-Feeding Experiments. 



quantity of cake and corn as Lots i and 2. At the end 

 of another three weeks the experiment with regard to 

 Lots 1 and 2 was concluded, but Lot 3 was now taken off 

 the turnip land and placed on grass for three weeks, receiving 

 cake, corn, Jia y, and turnips as Lot 2 had done. The whole 

 period was a very wet one, and the land a clay loam — condi- 

 tions as unfavourable for turnip feeding on turnip land as 

 they could well be. Loc 1, however, showed itself decidedly 

 superior to Lot 2, which received the same foods on sound 

 grass land, as Lot 1 gained rather over 1 Jib. per head per 

 week, while Lot 2 gained rather over 1 Jib. Lot 3, while re- 

 ceiving hay only, on the turnips, gained very little over Jib. 

 per head per week, and failed to pay for their keep. That this 

 was not in any way due to the sheep is shown by the fact that,, 

 as soon as they received corn and cake in addition, they too 

 gained a trifle over 1 Jib. per head per week, but fell back to 

 a fraction over ilb. when supplied with turnips on grass, 



In this experiment it is to be noted that three different lots 

 of sheep fed in three different ways, and the same lot of 

 sheep fed in three ways, yielded similar results. In 1899 

 similar sheep were kept on grass with the same allowance of 

 cake, corn, and hay, but no turnips: these sheep made no 

 gain at all ; in fact, they lost weight slightly. 



The conclusions which, it is thought may be drawn from' 

 these experiments are that, over and above manurial values, it 

 pays well to feed sheep on turnips with cake, corn, and hay ; 

 that sheep pay better when penned on turnip land, in spite 

 of a muddy lair, than when receiving their turnips on grass 

 land ; that it does not pay to winter fattening hoggs on pasture 

 land with cake, corn, and hay without turnips as they wander 

 about too much in search of food ; and that in wet weather 

 the progress of sheep on turnips with hay alone is too slow to 

 be profitable. 



