Report on the Agriculture of Bel(/ium. 
53 
the cessation of the dianhcDa the animals vapidly improve in 
condition. They get as much pulp as they can eat at each 
meal, and are fed punctually twice a day, at, say, 11 A.M. and 
6 P.M. ; and, when they are thoroughly accustomed to their food, 
about 2 lbs. of crushed corn or cake per head per diem is mixed 
with some of the pulp. After this stage they look for feeding 
time with great eagerness. 
Generally speaking, they weigh from 550 to GOO lbs. live 
weight when they come in, and, after having been fed in this 
manner between three and four months, they are sold at an 
average increase of 50 per cent, in weight. About three lots 
will thus be fed off' in the course of the year if there is sufficient 
pulp for them. What the qiialiti/ of the meat is we had no 
opportunity of judging ; but we felt somewhat doubtful in conse- 
quence of the very serious check which the animals receive, and 
the consequent loss of the " calf's flesh," at the commencement 
of the feeding process. 
The more complex system seemed to us more likely to 
produce good beef. The beasts, either young steers, cows of 
6 or 7 years old, or heifers — but preferably the last description — 
are bought in February and are fed off by the end of the year. 
When first bought, they are put into the byres and eat what 
forage there may be left. In the middle of March they go on to 
the pastures in " parks," and remain out until the middle of 
July, after which period they are kept entirely in the byres, 
their food chiefly consisting of the cut aftermath from the 
meadows. When this is finished, which is generally in Sep- 
tember, they are fed on beet-root pulp or distillery refuse (see infra) 
mixed with rye-meal ; and if these articles of diet are properly 
given the beasts have no disinclination to take them. They 
begin with about 14 lbs. of pulp and 1 lb. of rye-meal, and the 
quantity is increased to 56 lbs. of pulp and 4 lbs. of meal.* 
When doing well, at the finish, the beasts are said to increase 
nearly 7 lbs. each per diem, live weight ; and when sold the 
heifers will weigh about 13 cwt., the older beasts rising to 
15 cwt. Some farmers prefer to give less pulp and more meal ; 
and a good allowance for a beast weighing 10 cwt. will be 
40 lbs, of pulp and 8 or 9 lbs. of meal. This system, it must 
be remembered, requires the possession of some good grass-land, 
which the one previously described does not. 
Farmers whose occupation does not include good meadow- 
land do not buy in their stock until later in the year ; and they 
keep them on the pastures until the end of October. The food 
* Dr. Voelcker considers that the proportion of pulp is too great to give the 
best economic result. 
