90 
Straw-Chaff for Feeding Purposes. 
Meadow-hay, it will be seen, contains rather more than twice 
as much albuminous or flesh-forming matter as the sample of 
straw-chaff of which the analysis is here given ; hence the advi- 
sibility to add to the latter some oil-cake, which, moreover, will 
have the effect of raising the percentage of oil, and bringing it 
up to about the same amount as is found in meadow-hay. 
Chaff, especially if it be made from over-ripe straw, is not much 
liked by sheep or cattle, on account of its insipid taste and harsh- 
ness ; and considerable difficulty is experienced to induce stock 
to consume straw-chaff in as large a quantity as is desirable. 
To meet this difficulty, several stock-feeders with whom I am 
acquainted have found it useful in practice to use straw-chaff 
with some treacle previously diluted with sufficient water to 
impregnate uniformly the chaff with the sweet liquid. The 
only fault I have to find with this otherwise good plan of render- 
ing chaff more palatable, is that the farmer has to pay from 13/. 
to 14/. per ton for the treacle, and obtains in that material only 
about 54 to 60 per cent, of sugar, the rest being water and 
impurities of no feeding value. 
By Mr. Jonas's plan straw-chaff is not merely made more 
palatable, but, as it is mixed with a little green food, it undergoes 
a slow cooking process, and becomes more digestible, and per- 
meated by a delicate hay -flavour. Thus the most is made both 
of the green stuff and the straw, and an excellent food is pro- 
duced at a trifling expense, greatly superior in feeding properties 
to treacled ordinary straw-chaff, which costs more money. 
The great simplicity of preparing and storing straw-chaff, and 
the inexpensiveness of Mr. Jonas's plan are further advantages, 
which all who consume much straw for feeding purposes may 
secure to themselves. 
The more one looks into this subject, the more one becomes 
impressed with the great practical value of Mr. Jonas's plan of 
preparing a most useful and nutritious auxiliary food ; and it 
is much to be desired that this extremely simple, inexpensive, 
and in all respects excellent plan of dealing with straw for 
feeding purposes may be spread throughout the length and 
breadth of the country. 
11, Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, E.G., 
January, 1871. 
