464 
On Pulping Roots for Cattle Food. 
I have tried it for feeding jiigs, hwt have gone back to the old s}-steiii of 
boiling or steaming the roots. Pulping them before steaming very materially 
assists the process. 
11. From Mr. W. Sadler, Ferrygate, Dirleton, East Lothian. 
My experience of the system of mincing or pulping roots for cattle extends 
to some trials made with feeding cattle ; one lot of four short-horn steers having 
been fed by me upon as many sliced Swedish turnips as they could eat ; and 
another lot, the same in number, \ipon a mixture of cut wheat-straw and 
fresh pulped swedes, ad libitum. It was found that the lot on pulp would not 
consume above 7 lbs. weight of cut straw per diem. Both lots of cattle were 
weighed at the commencement and at the end of the experiment, and a careful 
account was kept of the weight of food consumed. 
The lot on sliced food was found to have eaten, in 88 days, 25 tons 1 cwt. 2 qrs. 
of swedes, and to have increased in live weight 7 cwt. 31 lbs. ; and if Gd. per 
lb. be taken as the value of the increase of their live weight, the sum would 
amount to IQl. 'Is. 6c?., as a return for the quantity of swedes consumed. The 
cost of slicing and attendance on this lot was 16s. for the whole time, so that 
the return per ton for swedes consumed amounted to 14s. Qd. 
The lot upon pulp consumed in 88 days 23 tons 13 cwt.*l qr., and they 
only increased in live weight 6 cwt. 46 lbs.; and if the above rate per lb. be 
also taken as the value of the increase, the amount of return for the food con- 
sumed will be 15?. 17s. Qd. The expense of pulping, cutting straw, &c., for 
this lot amounted however to 11. lis. 6d, from which has to be deducted 14s. 
as the value of the extra tiuuips eaten by the other lot, so that those on pulp 
thus left only 13s. Qd. per ton, being is. per ton less. The lot on sliced food 
had access to the same straw as the others, but uncut ; and both lots had an 
allowance of oil-cake during the last four weeks of the experiment. 
It is hoped no one will presume the pulping system to be unworthy of 
adoption in the fattening of cattle from the fact of a single trial having proved 
unfavourable, as we all know that in a lot of beasts even one animal, from 
being a dull feeder, will effect a difference in a trial of this sort. In this par- 
ticular instance all seemed to thrive and feed ver}- equally. 
I have directed my attention now to giving reduced quantities of pulped 
turnips, along with more chopped straw, oil-cake, and other substances ; and 
I have at present a trial going on with beasts receiving 84 lbs. of pulped 
swedes, 14 to 20 lbs. of cut straw, and 4 lbs. of oil-cake, against cattle receiving 
full allowance of sliced swedes, or about double the amount of the above. 
As regards the value of the pulping sj^stem when applied to store or winter- 
ing cattle, there cannot, I infer, be a doubt, from any one that has tried it, 
l)ut that it is one of the most economical discoveries of the age. I have at 
present 50 beasts on pulp, some in store, and others in part feeding condition, 
each class receiving their weighed allowance of pulp and " chop " according to 
their ages and sizes. One of the many advantages of feeding in the pulp, 
where cattle are kept in large open courts with sheds attached — such as thej- 
are in East Lothian — rests in being able to increase the bulk of food so much 
that the stronger beasts fill themselves and lie down, allowing the weaker 
animals to have a full supply ; whereas when cattle receive a reduced quantitj- 
(often as much, I suspect, as would do them good) the strong ones generally 
knock the weaker ones about, and rob them of their fair share. I find young 
beasts improve well upon 28 lbs. of pulp, besides straw and 2 lbs. of oil-cake, 
Avith 2 lbs. of rape-cake mixed. I tried fermenting, but did not find it answer 
well, either with pigs or cattle, when tried against other feeding substances. I 
prepare daily as much pulp as lasts for 24 hours. The machine used by me 
is lieutall's, which pluchs the roots and does not express theu" juices uuneccs- 
