Cooking Food for Cattle. 
449 
This brings us to a remarkable point in the experiments at Wobui u 
recorded by Mr. Lawes. In the sixth of these experiments, when 
only 5 lbs. per day of cooked oilcake-oonipound was used, an average 
gain of 19'4 lbs. of live weight per week was obtained; whereas, in a 
previous experiment, when 8 lbs. of oilcake was given, the gain over 
the whole period was 12'3 lbs., and over the last and strictest part of 
the experiment only 9 '2 lbs. Apparently, therefore, the cooked food 
prodiiced a much more satisfactory result than the imcooked. It 
ought, however, to be taken into account that the least successful 
experiment was commenced in October, when the cattle were taken 
into the yard fresh from ranging the gi-ass, and the more successful 
one in March, after they had been in the yard some time, and were 
accustomed to that position and diet. Mr. Lawes states that the 
amount of manure made in the boxes, with an allowance of about 
20 lbs. of litter a day, amounted to a little over 5^- cwt. a week, so as 
to make 22^ cwt., or rather more than a ton, of manure in a month. 
Amongst practical men who are feeding animals in boxes, the 
impression prevails that they are deriving a larger amount of 
manure than this from feeding their stock, even without more litter 
than appears to be needful, a good authority estimating it at from 
12 to 15 cwt. weekly. Such a wide variation deserves further investi- 
gation. In calculating the economical results of the Woburn experi- 
ments, it must not be overlooked tliat the animals were taken from 
two breeds which are not remunerative as dairy stock. On the Duke 
of Bedford's estate it is the custom to allow the Hereford calf to run 
Avith and to suck its mother ; therefore the only profit derived from 
the cow is that which arises from the rearing of the calf. A price must, 
therefore, be put upon the young steers much above the common 
maiket price of animals of that class, because these are the only 
returns which the cow makes until she herself is converted into beef. 
To come to his own experience. Anxious to try the effects of cooking, 
lie last autumn ordered ten beasts to have 2 lbs. of bean-meal boiled 
and poured over the chaff, which was to stand twenty-four hours ; 
2 lbs. of cake was then added to the mixture, and it was then 
served out. Of those ten beasts, however, one obstinately refused 
to eat the mixture ; it was a white bullock with a black nose, and 
decidedly the worst of the lot. It so stoutly resisted the mixture 
that it would even eat the straw turned out from the cart-horse 
stable rather than the prepared. food. It was then ordered to have 
the bean-meal unboiled, but still mixed with straw that had been 
moistened the day before, and with a small quantity of malt-combs : 
and at this moment that very animal which had been the worst of 
the ten was by far the best. • It weighed at least 8 stone more than 
those which were of the same size at Michaelmas, 1 cwt. more in 
live weight than the smaller animals when they came in, and 56 lbs. 
more than any other beast in the lot. Professor Voelcker remarks 
on this: — "The incident you mention with respect to your black- 
nosed bullock is curious. I don't like to boil bean or pea meal, 
and to pour it afterwards over roots and, chaff. Substances so 
rich in nitrogenized matters as peas and beans are very apt to give 
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