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On Catlle-feeding during the Winter of 441 
I do so, not because I consider that my plan was better than others, 
but because I can describe it more minutely. I must plead 
guilty to great indiscreetness in the previous summer, for, finding 
some of my intended mowing ground too bad a crop to cut, I 
bought grazing cattle to stock it, disliking to do so with those I 
already had, and depending upon rain to give a sufficient supply 
of grass. The consequence was that the former, later in the season, 
robbed my others of some hay, and those others were obliged to 
be brought to the yards early in October, none the better for 
their summer's keep. Nothing daunted, however, by this piece 
-of bad luck or bad management, I ventured — stock being very 
low in price — to purchase more cattle, tempted the more to do 
so by having had built some new cattle-boxes which I wanted to 
fill. To find Lent corn-straw for them was out of the question. 
I began to do so, mixing it with a little wheat-straw, but soon 
found that my sheep would be minus straw if I continued the plan, 
so determined to feed them upon wheat-straw, — some wholly so, for 
others, mixing it with oat-straw. We had it cut into chaff, and 
for the yearlings we added 1 lb. of linseed and 1 lb. of bean 
and barley meal per beast per day, at a cost of Is. 9f/. per week, 
the linseed and meal being steamed and thrown boiling over the 
chaff and well mixed with it. At one place I steamed the straw- 
chaff, but I hardly know that we found sufficient difference in 
the thriving of the animals to warrant the expense. Truly, 
that was not very much. The smell, especially when mixed 
with one-tenth hay, was like that of new hay, the knots in the 
straw were softer, and its feel altogether so in the hand, which 
would lead to the conclusion that it must have been more easily 
<ligested ; but practically I cannot say that there was enough 
difference for either me or the feeder to remark it. With this 
food, assisted by artificials (corn and linseed), I succeeded in 
grazing oxen which not only paid for what they ate, but realised 
a handsome profit as well. After selling these fat cattle, just 
before and just after Christmas, I had left — my yearlings, milking 
cows, in-calf heifers, and between 50 and (JO young beasts coming 
two years old. From these last I selected 20 of the best of the 
heifers and the 6 best steers to keep round, leaving about 30, with 
regard to which came the question, What must I do with them ? 
I could sell them, but only at a very low price — so low as to 
lose money upon their cost to the time ; I could possibly keep 
them upon wheat-straw and 2 or 3 lbs. of corn and cake, but 
then they would probably pay nothing for the winter's keep ; or 
I could try and fatten them for the June market on wheat-straw 
and boiled linseed and meal. From among these courses capable 
of being adopted I elected to try the last, and put them into my 
cattle-pits just after Christmas, having given them before that 
VOL. VII. — S. S. 2 G 
