614 
Rape- Cake  as  Food  for  Stock. 
turnips,  and  always  cutting  their  turnips  from  the  commencement.  In 
this  way  I find  no  difficulty  in  getting  my  flock  to  eat  rapecake,  if  of  good 
quality.  There  are  certainly  some  samples  of  rapecake  no  animal  can  be 
persuaded  to  eat,  such  as  have  been  heated  on  shipboard  or  in  the  ware- 
house, or  have  become  fusty  from  being  stowed  in  a damp  room,  or  on  a 
damp  floor.  I also  find  sheep  prefer  foreign  to  English  manufactured 
rapecake.  But  sweet,  good  rapecake  is  not  only  readily  eaten  by  sheep, 
but  experience  has  proved  to  me  it  is  a most  healthy  food  for  them. 
Since  I began  to  use  it  liberally  my  flock  has  been  much  more  healthy, 
and  the  deaths  have  decreased  to  a very  small  per-centage  annually.  The 
amount  of  deaths  in  my  ewe  flock,  from  October  1,  1849,  to  July  8,  1850, 
were  barely  1^  per  cent. ; and  in  my  hog  flock,  from  July  8,  1849,  the 
time  of  weaning,  to  the  date  of  their  going  to  market,  fat  and  clipped, 
were  scarcely  1^  per  cent. 
This  small  amount  of  deaths  does  not  arise  from  anything  peculiarly 
favourable  in  the  season  or  in  the  plan  of  giving  cake,  for  some  very  good 
sheep-farmers  who  reside  near  me,  and  who  give  their  sheep  quite  as 
much  cake  per  head  annually  as  I do  (but  all  linseed),  were  comparing 
notes  with  me  the  other  day  as  to  the  advantage  of  using  rapecake  as 
part  of  the  food  of  young  sheep.  They  admitted  their  losses  of  lambs, 
both  at  weaning  time  and  when  putting  them  first  on  turnips  last  year, 
were  very  considerable,  whilst  I did  not  lose  one  lamb  at  either  of  these 
times.  The  principal  cause  of  deaths  in  my  hogs  was  apoplexy,  from 
high  feeding ; but  I find  a regular  supply  of  salt  does  much  to  check  that 
disease. 
One  great  claim  which  rapecake  has  to  the  attention  of  the  sheep- 
breeder  is,  that  not  only  does  it  check  scouring,  but  it  seems  a complete 
preventive  to  that  most  fatal  disease  in  newly-weaned  lambs.  Perhaps,  if 
given  with  too  much  dry  food,  it  might  confine  the  bowels  of  sheep  too 
much ; but  when  given  with  very  succulent  food,  it  seems  peculiarly 
adapted  to  prevent  too  great  laxity. 
The  reason  I first  tried  rapecake  for  sheep  was  from  seeing  the  great 
good  green  rape  did  to  young  sheep ; and  considering  that  the  seed  of  a 
plant  contains  the  very  essence  of  that  plant  concentrated,  I determined 
to  try  the  effect  of  rapecake  upon  sheep;  more  especially  as  I had  seen 
it  given,  to  a certain  extent,  to  cattle  in  the  Netherlands.  Economy  has 
caused  me  to  persevere  in  it,  as  I find  it  by  far  the  cheapest  food  I ever 
met  with  for  sheep ; and  I find  also,  where  cake  is  given  to  sheep  on 
turnips,  the  succeeding  crop  of  barley  is  better  than  if  the  same  value  in 
oats,  peas,  or  beans  had  been  given  to  them. 
I gave  4 lbs.  to  6 lbs.  of  rapecake  each  per  day  to  30  young  heifers  in 
my  straw-fold  last  winter.  They  ate  it  readily,  and  did  very  well  upon  it, 
with  a small  supply  of  cut  turnips. 
I first  persuaded  my  ewes  to  eat  cake  by  sprinkling  a little  salt  upon  it. 
There  is  one  thing  which,  however,  it  is  almost  needless  to  mention  to 
you — that  much  of  the  success  attending  feeding  sheep  on  cake  depends 
on  the  shepherd’s  care,  attention,  and  cleanliness.  The  troughs  should  be 
cleaned  out  daily,  and  the  appointed  time  of  feeding  be  strictly  and 
punctually  kept.  The  cake-troughs  should  be  so  constructed  as  to  keep 
the  cake  from  the  rain. 
Before  I conclude,  allow  me  to  say  that  the  plan  of  giving  cake  to  my 
sheep  all  through  the  year  is  part  of  my  system,  on  very  light  and 
naturally  poor  land,  to  manure  directly  for  every  crop ; and  I find  passing 
highly-nutritious  food  through  the  stomachs  of  animals  to  be  the  easiest 
mode  of  applying  the  manure,  and  at  a time  and  to  a purpose  when  most 
needed.  The  young  sheep,  as  a growing  animal,  is  a great  robber  of  your 
