596 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 
sion has more to do, perhaps, with the adulteration of oilcake and other 
feeding materials, still, I think, we should not be travelling out of our 
proper sphere if, after the exposure which the Professor has made with 
respect to the great extent to which adulteration is carried by the manu- 
facturers of oilcake in this country, the question of malt as a feeding 
element be considered. The question introduced by the Professor was 
considered and discussed in this room a few years ago ; and we then 
came to the conclusion that the English crushers of cake were more 
dishonest than the foreign ; and that if we would have a genuine 
article, we could depend more upon the foreigner than upon the Eng- 
lishman. Now, it must be very evident to all of us, from what the 
Professor has stated, as well as from oiir own experience, that there is 
the greatest imaginable difficulty in getting a cake that we can rely 
upon ; and I know that many persons who have animals of very great 
value, with which they desire to compete with the noble lord's short- 
horns, or with the gi-eat exhibitors of sheep, find it necessary to feed 
those animals — aye, and horses too — with malt. I happened to be one 
of the deputation that waited upon the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
yesterday. We went rather fully into these matters, and Mr. Booth, 
the eminent breeder of shorthorns, and a successful exhibitor, stated 
plainly that for years past he and his family had been in the constant 
habit of feeding their animals 'with malt. I can only say for myself 
that, during the last thirty years, whenever I made up my mind to 
exhibit and to win a prize, malt has invariably been the article upon 
which I fed my animals. That I did successfully for a very long 
period ; and I believe that farmers, one and all, join in the hope that 
the Legislature will in some way get rid of the di-eadful adulteration 
that is going on in the manufactm-e of oilcake. With regard to the 
conversion of barley into malt, I shall only add that, as far as my 
experience goes, I am so satisfied of the value of malt, that if its use 
were imrestrained, I should not spend a single penny more in the 
purchase of oilcake. 
Professor Voelckee, in answer to the question of Lord Feversham, 
said. At present om- practical experience of the feeding properties of 
malt is very inconclusive. I therefore feel considerable hesitation in 
replying positively to the question either one way or the other. I have 
myself no experience on the subject, and can only quote the very imper- 
fect and limited experience of those who have tried comparative experi- 
ments with malt and barley. As far as 1 know, the only experiments 
with which I am acquainted are those made by Mr. Hudson, of Castle- 
acre, Mr. Lawes, and a few desultory expei'iments by Mr. Thompson. 
These, moreover, especially the latter, were made upon a very limited 
scale, and added little to our stock of knowledge. Still there is, no 
doubt, much of floating experience from which useful hints might be 
gathered. The feeders of stock that I am acquainted with speak very 
highly of malt. When an animal has to be got into fine condition, and 
supplied with a large amount of food in order to its rapid development, 
the addition of malt, from all I can learn, is most useful. It seems to 
help the digestion remarkably — I may say wonderfully. Now, we can 
easily understand this. For in malt not only the ready-formed sugar 
