Praetical Exjperiences in the Preparation of Food for Stocl: 447 
the greatest value in indicating the lines along \fliich the 
methods of sound agricnltural practice should proceed. 
I desire to thank all those gentlemen who were good enough 
to send me samples of their grass land. My special thanks are 
due to the President of the Surveyors' Institution pir. E. P. 
Squarey). who possesses a wide and intimate knowledge of our 
English pastures, and to !Mr. James Eobertson, of La Mancha, 
Malahide. who enjoys an equally extensive acquaintance with 
the grass lands of Ireland. To the kind introductions afforded 
me by Mr. Squarey and Mr. Eobertson I am indebted for quite 
one-half of the turfs included in the experiments. 
XXni. — Pradiml Experiences in the Preparation of Food for 
Stocl: By He>"BT F. Moore, Frome, Somerset. 
DuBiSG the past few years a great deal of attention has been 
directed, chiefly in Germany and the United States, to the 
question of the preparation of food for the live stock of the farm, 
chiefly and especially to the ideal proportions of food for various 
purposes. Thus there have arisen chemists who wlU give an 
exact food to produce a milk for a given purpose, the only factor 
taken into account being the weight of the cow. This phase of 
the feeding question is so purely ideal and so unpractical that it 
is not likely to have any very long Hfe. Feeding — like all other 
farming operations — depends so much on the resources of a farm 
(the best being made of what is actually at hand, helped judi- 
ciously, it may be, by purchases) that ideal feeding is next to 
impossible. With, however, this aspect of the question, other 
incidental matters have become involved, and these certainly 
merit attention. In what form should food generally be given 
to stock, and is there economy or loss in its more careful pre- 
paration either by chaffing, mixing, cooking, or steaming ? 
This is essentially a question for the practical man, and how far 
the answer is regulated or modified by circumstances of locality 
or management is weU worthy of attention. 
In order to bring out a record of practical experience on this 
point, I addressed inquiries to some two hundred well-known 
agriculturists, asking them to give me their experience and prac- 
tice as to (1) chaffing, (2) mixing, (3) cooking, and (4) steaming 
foods. On each of these points questions were asked, in answer 
to which I have obtained a vast amount of practical information. 
The questions were as follows : — 
