On the Feeding of Stock. 
223 
Now this estimate of 3s., instead of 4^. 9c/. per week, for the 
second year's keep would make the difference between 12/. Is. 
and 11. 16s. on the year, or of 4/. lis., and leave us with only a 
loss of 1/. instead of 5/. lis. on the picked animal, valued at 15/. 
at 2 years and 3 months old, — a value as high as is, I think, com- 
monly attained at that age by animals kept in good store condition. 
If we now proceed to the year 1856-57, the fattening process 
may be considered to have commenced, and that under favourable 
circumstances ; for, as meat was scarce, a butcher had promised 
to give 50/. a-piece for the bullocks in 15 months' time if they 
were fatted to his satisfaction, — ^an encouraging offer, as the 
weight attained would not probably much exceed 100 stone, of 
14 lbs., so that the meat would cost nearly 10s. per stone. The 
butcher was highly satisfied with the quality of the meat, which I 
myself also proved : it was nicely mottled and quite fat enough. 
This is noteworthy, because many .will think that the beans, and 
consequently the albuminous element supplied, had undue promi- 
nence in the diet. I can only say that repeated observation of 
benefit received from mixing or substituting bean-meal for that 
of other grain, has led to its constant use on the farm at some 
inconvenience, because beans are not grown on the land and are 
not plentiful in the neighbourhood. If my experience differs 
from that of others in this respect, a reason mav be found in 
the fact that I mix meal and cake almost exclusively with cut 
straw-chaff, whilst others may use hay freely for the purpose ; 
and in my case the albumen in the bean may be required to 
supply the defect of nitrogenous substances created by the sub-, 
stitution of straw for hay. The supply of two-thirds of a peck, 
or between 8 and 9 lbs. of unmixed bean-meal is not, however, 
a practice to be upheld. Under like circumstances the propor- 
tions would now be thus varied : — 
lbs. 
Beanrmeal 3 
Wheat or barley meal . . . . 3 
Oil-cake G 
12 
would be substituted. . . 
The whole cost of keep furnished to a 2-year-old would now, 
except for special reasons, but little exceed that of a yearling, 
costing in winter — 
Per day. Per week. 
s. d. 
2 lbs. of cake (rape, cotton, or linseed), at about Id. .. 1 2 
2 lbs. of meal, at 13d. per stone 11 
2 lbs. of malt-combs and bran 0 8 
Turnips, 2 bushels, at 2.ld 0 5 
Say, 3s. Qd. per week .. ., 3 4 
lbs. 
Instead of bean-meal .. .. .. 8 
„ oil-cake ■ .. ... .. s 4 
12 
