Mixture of Decorticated-cake, 8fc., for fattening Bullocks. 655 
When the 6 bullocks were put into the feeding-boxes on the 
14th of January, 1880, they weighed : — 
Ko. 1. 
» 2. 
3. 
Cwts. qrs. lbs. 
.. !) 2 2 
.. 9 3 15 
..9 3 2 
Total \vci"ht of Lot 1 . . 29 0 19 
No. 4. 
„ 5. 
„ 6. 
Cwts. qrs. lbs. 
,. 9 0 16 
,. 9 3 25 
,. 9 0 12 
Total wei-lit of Lot 2 .. 28 0 25 
Both lots were fed upon the same quantity of sliced mangolds 
hay, and straw-chaff. In addition, the 3 bullocks in lot 1 
received decorticated cotton-cake and maize-meal, and the 
bullocks in lot 2, linseed-cake. 
The bullocks were weighed again on the 16th of March, and 
removed from the boxes, as they were then in a good condition 
for the butcher. 
In the 9 weeks during which the bullocks were under experi- 
ment, the 3 bullocks in lot 1 consumed : — 
Cwts. qrs. lbs. 
Hay-chaff 90 0 
Wheat-chaff 4 2 14 
]\Iangolds, sliced 33 3 0 
Decorticated cotton-cake .. .. 13 0 0 
Indian corn meal 13 0 0 
The cotton-cake was broken up rather finer than linseed-cake 
usually is, but it was not reduced to powder. It was part of the 
same parcel which was bought for the feeding experiments in 
1879, was free from mould, and was in good condition. 
The bullocks took to it kindly at once, and, as will be shown 
presently, did very well upon the cake and maize-meal as addi- 
tional food to roots and chaff. 
Decorticated cotton-cake not unfrequently is so hard that 
fattening bullocks or sheep do not like it ; and if forced to eat 
such cake, they are attacked by diarrhoea, or similar disorders 
arising from the consumption of indigestible food. 
I have never experienced any difficulty in inducing cattle to 
eat decorticated cotton-cake, and have always found them do well 
upon a mixture of maize and cotton-cake. I ascribe this good 
result, in a great measure, to the fact that the decorticated 
cotton-cake used at Crawley Mill farm is broken up a week or 
ten days before it is given to stock. The broken cake absorbs 
moisture from the atmosphere in sufficient proportions to become 
softened without getting mouldy, if the broken cake is kept in 
a well-aired barn or outhouse. If the precaution be taken to 
break up decorticated cotton-cake ten days or a fortnight before 
use, there is no need of reducing it to powder in order to 
render it more digestible. 
