Management of Cattle. 
431 
of food consists of three parts of barley, bean or pea meal, and 
one part linseed-meal, and is thus compounded: — The linseed- 
meal is first placed into boiling water, in the proportion of 1 lb. 
of linseed to a gallon of water, until it forms a sort of jelly — the 
barley or pea-meal is then added, the mixture being well stirred 
all the time. The mash thus formed is taken out of the copper 
and pressed closely into some large vessel in which it will keep 
several days. It is usual to commence by giving from 5 lbs. to 
7 lbs. per day, and the quantity is gradually increased up to 12 lbs. 
or 14 lbs. Although almost all cattle will eat that quantity with 
the greatest avidity, it is seldom they can be induced to eat more ; 
turnips or other roots are frequently given with the compound in the 
bo.xes exactly in the same way as in the stalls. When the object 
of feedmg cattle is to make a large quantity of straw into manure, 
open yards, with roomy good sheds, are preferred. From ten to 
fifteen cattle are sometimes grazed in one yard, but the more they 
can be divided the better, as they are then generally quieter and 
less apt to disturb each other. Long bins in which the turnips 
are given are placed in different parts of the yard ; about 3 
bushels of swedes per day wdl generally satisfy a bullock, pro- 
vided a fair quantity of linseed-cake or other artificial food be 
added. There is generally a manger in the shed, so that the 
dry food may be given at any time during wet weather. The 
times of feeding are very much the same as those described in 
stalls ; and some graziers, in addition to the turnips and cake, give 
a little Ion? hay at night. If hay cannot be spared, the racks are 
daily filled with straw ; and although this is not very nutritious, 
it is necessary to give bulk to the food ; even cattle eating turnips 
will voluntarily consume several pounds of straw daily. The 
water of the turnips being soon separated, straw is necessary to 
enable the complicated digestive process peculiar to herbivorous 
animals to proceed properly. Without bulk of food they cannot 
ruminate, and rumination is necessary to keep all cattle in health. 
Having described ihe three systems generally pursued in winter- 
feeding cattle, it may not be amiss to stop for a few minutes to 
inquire into their respective merits. The advocates of stall- 
feeding assert that the temperature can be better regulated in 
stalls than in yards ; that each animal can eat his share undis- 
turbed ; the removal of the manure daily they consider more 
healthy for the beast than when it is allowed to remain under 
him for several months; and they also contend that the animal 
when tied up and deprived of exercise fattens quicker. In boxes 
the animal is said to be more comfortable and contented, to thrive 
faster, and the manure to be undoubtedly very superior. In 
open yards provided with comfortable sheds the bullock is treated 
more in conformity with his natural habits, and, being a hardy 
