450 Practical Experiences in the Preparation of Food for Stoch. 
[For Schedule of Questions, seepage 448.] 
Mr. Henry Straker, Riding Mill, Northumberland. 
3. I have used straw and chaff this year for the first time, viz., that 
from oats and tares, and the chaff therefrom, &c., so that not a basketful was 
wasted, hut carefully stored as all came from the thresher. The tares wero 
grown to feed off with sheep, but were obliged to be mown and won, for 
good reasons ; consequently had to be used for cattle. 
4. Moss-litter at 30s. per ton at my station. I calculate 3 cwts. serve 
as bedding for each beast in its loose box (cemented bottom and sides, no 
drains, about 8^ feet square) three weeks, with frequent turnings over, 
corners into middle and vice versa, and then carted straight away, and laid 
on the grass-land at the rate of about 25 loads per acre — more if I can spare 
it — not a drop of liquid manure being wasted. 
5. Yes, and put into oblong boxes about 16 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft., standing 
end on to and underneath two iron cylinder boilers, containing about 450 
gallons each of water, which is boiled by steam ; and then a mixture of 
2 lbs. of bran, 1^ lb. of crushed linseed, 1^ oz. of salt, 2^ lbs. of tare meal 
(discontinued), per head per day, is stirred into this boiling water, left boiling 
for two hours, and then run oil" in this state over the chafi" and straw, re- 
maining so for 12 to 15 hours, and then served three times daily to the 
cattle, viz., at 6, 12, and 6 o'clock. 
6. I do not give any hay at all. 
7. Chaffing absolutely stops waste, a given quantity feeding more beasts. 
There is also less anxiety about fire when the cattle-man is feeding by 
candle-light, when he has no long straw near him. 
8. Four pounds of maize meal at 10 a.m., and 3^ lbs. bean meal at 4 p.m. 
10. Horses when in full work get about 5 stoues of crushed oats each 
per week, with long hay ad libitum, and a bran mash, with a little boiled 
linseed in it, twice a week during winter weather, the oats being reduced 
greatly when the weather stops work. 
17. Every particle of chaff off the oats and also from the tares, as 
well as all straw, old and new, I used up as already named. "With a fiixed 
8 h.p. engine, chaffing of straw, crushing of oats for horses, peas, beans, 
cake, linseed, &c., is done, as well as the boiling of the water for the cattle 
" soup," all being done by the hinds from time to time as required when 
their horses are not at work. 
18. For milking cows I think it first-rate. For fattening beasts I am not 
satisfied with it, as I have only sold six fat animals out of 32 which I 
" boxed " last November, the other 26 being still on hand. No doubt the 
inferiority of the tare straw, &c., which was bleached with high winds and 
heavy rains, to some extent accounts for their slowness in feeding ; also they 
were put up too late, as the cattle house was under repairs, and the pastures 
were so bare (and not very good any part of the year, through the drought) 
that they lost a good deal of what " Iyer " they had gained on tlie grass. 
I am not satisfied again, because the fat heifer I got fairly weighed before 
and after death only realised 55 per cent, of dressed meat — she was a picked 
one. The remaining ones are, many of them, too big-bellied ; there will be 
too much ofial ; Ihey are fairly fat big beasts, but not typical fat beasts. I 
tried this " soup " over chaffed har/ Avith more meal, &c., in it many years 
ago, and the result was similar. I have a strong opinion of chafled straw 
steamed, having either oil or treacle, with meal, &c., added while it is very 
hot, which answers better than giving the cattle so much sloppy food. 
