132 
Straw as Food for Stock. 
but I think in most cases where steaming has been tried, it is now abandoned, 
which speaks for itself. Hay may be dispensed with for fattening-bcasts. 
We have used straw cut into chaiF for feeding bullocks for years past, and 
find they do very well on it, with pulped roots, linseed-cake, and meal. 
We have fed off about 100 bullocks a year for the past seven years ; and we 
keep our Shorthorns principally on cut straw and pulped roots, &c, all the 
winter months. I do not believe in littering cattle in boxes with cut straw 
(unless the manure is especially required for drilling purposes, as some use 
it), as I consider the use of whole straw is more economical, and keeps cattle 
much cleaner. I believe in sparred floors, especially for young cattle ; they 
not only keep them more healthy and strong in their legs, but very much 
economise the straw as well. 1 do not know what could be used as a sub- 
stitute for straw as litter in this district. As I before said, live stock are not 
much kept in this district for stall-feeding, nor yet sheep; but supposing 
that the whole of the straw which is grown were used as food for live stock, 
double the number of sheep and cattle might be kept. It certainly would be 
desirable to make less hay, and summer-feed the grass with the cattle or 
sheep intended to cat the straw in winter ; or otherwise feed them off with 
cake on the grass, as might he deemed advisable. We have never tried 
Mr. Jonas's system for improving the feeding qualities of straw, but we mix 
the straw-chaff with mangold-pulp, and allow it to remain some twelve hours 
before using it ; the chaff thereby becomes softened and more palatable, and 
we find the cattle eat it with great relish. The mixture is very good for 
about twenty-four hours after mixing, but if allowed to remain much longer, 
it becomes sour." 
Mr. Alexander Jemmett, of Binfield, Berks, attributes wholly 
to the want of covered yards and other conveniences the fact 
that straw is not more generally utilised as food ; and the extent 
to which it is employed as such, in cases where there is perfect 
accommodation, such as at Havering Park, Tiptree, and Escrick, 
goes far to support this view. Mr. Jemmett says : — 
" Under existing circumstances, the greater portion of straw grown on the 
farms is wasted in soaking up pools of water in yards with the minimum 
amount of spoutless shedding, and receiving the water from barns and adja- 
cent buildings. This is a serious evil, requiring the attention of owners, as 
tenants are compelled to consume hay, straw, and roots, on the premises. 
Straw is not used for food to the extent it would be with better arrangement 
of buildings. Covered yards and properly constructed pavements would effect 
a great saving in straw used for litter, and stock might be increased about 
30 per cent, were more straw used as food. I employ straw chaffed, mixed 
with hay, &c. Steaming and other methods of enhancing its feeding value 
would, no doubt, be followed out, were better accommodation afforded. 
Mr. R. Vallentine, of Leighton Buzzard, Beds, also animadverts 
on the same subject. Alluding to his district, he says : — 
" On arable farms, most of the straw produced is consumed as litter in 
large open yards, which in wet periods allow a large quantity of liquid 
manure to run from them, generally as waste, neither tanks nor any other 
provision being made to utilise the drainage. I know that a very large 
number of farm premises are so situated that the liquid manure might be 
easily allowed to flow upon grass-land adjoining, and be so distributed by 
open gutters, that some acres might be easily manured with what is usually 
