35^ 



Feeding Wheat to Stock. 



the animals dislike it after a time. The cost of milling is 

 also a consideration. 



3. Crushed WJicat. — This form is preferable to the two first, 

 as not involving the objections mentioned above, but to be 

 economical the grain should be crushed by mechanical 

 power. 



4. Bread. — This method of feeding wheat has proved satis- 

 factory, both for horses and for fattening other farm 

 animals. 



5. Cooked Wheat — This method is the one most approved of 

 by M. Yacher, who considers it superior from the double 

 point of view of economy and digestibility. In cooking the 

 wheat, the grain is put to steep for some time beforehand,, 

 and then cooked in a food-boiler until it can be easily 

 crushed between the fingers. It is then taken out of the 

 boiler and allowed to cool and become slightly acid during 

 twelve hours. Before giving it to the cattle a certain quan- 

 tity of warm water is added to restore its volume and to 

 facilitate ingestion and digestion. 



Experiments in feeding cooked grain to stock have been 

 carried out in France by M. Pluchet for a number of years.* 

 His first trial was made in 1893, in which year, owing to the 

 low price of bread, he changed the diet of his horses, which 

 were exclusively engaged in farm work, replacing 8 lbs. ot 

 oats by about 6J lbs. of full wheat bread and \ lb. of cooked 

 linseed, with results which he considered satisfactory. When 

 wheat prices subsequently improved, he substituted rye for 

 wheat, and for the last six years the daily ration of his 

 horses has been approximately 22 lbs. of straw, 16 lbs. ot 

 chopped fodder, 10 lbs. of oats, and 6|- lbs. of cooked rye. 

 This ration has, he states, given him complete satisfaction. 

 In calculating the economy, however, no allowance has been 

 made for cooking the rye (or wheat], because it is done by 

 utilising the escape of steam (which would otherwise be 

 wasted) from an engine employed to work various machinery 

 employed on the farm. 



In 1899 the price of wheat again fell, and has since been 



Bulletin des Seances de la SocieU Nationale C? Agriculture de France. Vol. LXL, 

 1 901, No. 4. 



