bullocks receive 100 lbs., or upwards,
of roots per day, with a large quantity of cake or meal, often
10 or 12 lbs. per day; they will not then look at straw, and are
obliged to be fed with hay. The cost price of these quantities
and kinds of food stands so high that the animals do not yield a
profit; for although they may make meat a little faster, yet the
proportionate increase is nothing compared to the increased cost
of the feeding materials used.

Mr. Blundell gives us also the tabulated results of one of his
experiments, which prove that by the use of straw there is to be
obtained something more than manure by the feeding of stock:--

COST OF FEEDING AN OX PER WEEK WITH STRAW, ETC.,
ACCORDING TO MR. BLUNDELL.

s. d.
4 lbs. of oil-cake per day,
or 38 lbs. per week, at L10 per ton 2 6
64 lbs. of roots ditto,
or 4 cwt. ditto, at 13s. 4d. ditto 2 8
20 lbs. of straw feeding,
or 1-1/4 cwt. ditto, at 30s. ditto 1 10-1/2
20 lbs. of straw litter,
or 1-1/4 cwt. ditto, at 15s. ditto 0 11

Attendance, &c., per week 0 1
----------
8 0-1/2
Deduct value of manure, per week 1 3-1/2
----------
6 9
Increased value of ox per week 10 0
Deduct cost of feeding 6 9
----------
3 3

If we now turn to the study of the composition of straw regarded from
an economic point of view, we shall find that the theoretical deductions
therefrom harmonise with the results of actual feeding experiments. Let
us assume that 100 parts of oat-straw contain on an average--

1 part of oil,
4 parts of flesh-formers,
10 parts of sugar, gum, and other fat-formers, and
30 parts of digestible fibre;

and if the price of the straw be 30s. per ton, we shall have at that
cost the following quantities of digestible substances:--

ONE TON OF OAT-STRAW, AT 30s., CONTAINS:--