154 
Straw as Food for Stock. 
matter, is together with straw or other materials which are 
deficient in this element." 
Of course any material increase in the employment of straw 
as food for stock would admit of larger herds and flocks to 
the acreage. Mr. Mechi relates that his labourers often say, 
" Ah, master, you could not keep half so much stock as you do 
if you did not consume your straw ; " * and he adds " If I could 
have my own way I would consume every particle of my straw, 
and I do consume a great deal ; but then I should have to 
largely increase my capital invested in live stock, and purchase 
food which I cannot afford. At present I have only a portion 
of my cattle on sparred floors, and the remainder in covered and 
enclosed yards with paved floors, the latter only requiring one- 
fourth as much straw as the open yard ; but if 1 could afford to 
have more cattle, I would put them all on sparred floors, for 
twenty years' experience has proyed it to be a profitable 
system .... My experience has taught me that the more live 
stock I can afford to keep fed to fatness by the consumption of 
cake and other food not produced by the farm, aided by an 
abundant supply of finely comminuted and prepared straw, is the 
true and cheap way to produce abundant manure of the best 
quality." 
For the sparred floors Mr. Mechi prefers 2-inch openings and 
3-inch laths, to 2h openings and 2\ laths, and says: "the 
former are easier to the animal's feet, and besides, although the 
foot is 4 inches wide, the hoof is wedge-shaped from front to 
back. For calves I find 1^-inch openings answer well." 
Anyhow, something will have to be done to obviate the 
necessity of so much straw being employed in littering stock. 
Apart from the food question, the market price has risen so 
much in many localities, that it has already become a popular 
notion that no greater boon could be rendered to a large pro- 
portion of the farming community than the abolition of restric- 
tions in agricultural covenants, and of those customs of the 
country having the force of law, which prevent the sale of 
straw. The Scotch newspapers lately asserted that Holland 
has commenced sending straw largely to Scotland in com- 
pressed bales, and that the demand for the article has so greatly 
increased during the past year that the price, delivered from 
the ship's side, has risen from 65s. to 95s. a ton. In Stafford- 
shire 6/., and even 11. a ton, has been given for straw within 
the past year. In the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton straw 
has become the most valuable part of the crop, and I have 
heard of farmers there who are accustomed to sell nearly the 
* ' Profitable Fanning.' By J. J. Mechi. Routledge and Sous. 
