LOT 1.—WITH BARLEY-MEAL AND BRAN.
£ s. d.
4 pigs bought in at 41s. 6d. each 8 6 0
1,860¾ lbs. barley, at 37s. 6d. per quarter of 416 lbs., including grinding 8 7 8¾
1,024¾ lbs. bran at 5s. 6d. per cwt. 210 3¾
——————
19 4 0½
88 stone 5 lbs. of pork sold at 4s. 4d. per stone, sinking the offal 19 4 0½
LOT 2.—WITH BARLEY-MEAL, BRAN, AND THORLEY'S FOOD.
£ s. d.
4 pigs bought in at 41s. 6d. each 8 6 0
1,862¾ lbs. barley, at 37s. 6d. per quarter of 416 lbs., including grinding 8 7 10¼
1,020¾ lbs. bran at 5s. 6d. per cwt. 210 1½
105 lbs. Thorley's food at 40s. per cwt. 117 6
——————
21 1 5¾
90 stone 1 lb. pork sold at 4s. 4d. per stone, sinking the offal 1910 6½
——————
110 11¼

The results of these experiments with pigs, in which Thorley's condiment was used with inferior fattening food, may be summed up as follows:—

1. The addition of Thorley's condimental food increased the amount of food consumed by a given weight of animal within a given time.

2. When Thorley's condiment was given it required more food to produce a given amount of increase in live-weight.

3. In fattening for twelve weeks there was a difference of £1 10s. 11d. on the lot of 4 pigs in favor of barley-meal and bran alone, over barley-meal, bran, and Thorley's food in addition.

At a meeting of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, held some time ago, the subject of the nutrimental value of condimental cattle food was discussed. As there is scarcely any kind of quackery, from spirit manifestations to Holloway's pills, that has not got its believers, there were, as might have been anticipated, some voices raised at this meeting in favor of Thorley's food; but the sense of the meeting was decidedly against it. Professor Simonds pronounced it to be worthless.

Although the greater number of equine proprietors and feeders of stock are too sensible to throw their money away in the purchase of those costly foods, still there are by no means an insignificant number who employ it, under the idea that it preserves the health of the animals; these stuffs are also highly appreciated by many grooms and herds. Now, for the information of all believers, I may state that there is no mystery whatever in the nature of condimental cattle foods. They consist in substance of such matters as linseed-cake, Indian corn, rice, bean-meal, locust-beans, and malt-combings. These substances are flavored by the addition of turmeric-root, ginger, coriander-seed, carraway-seed, fenugreek-seed, aniseed, liquorice, and similar substances. In addition to the nutritive and flavorous articles employed in the manufacture of these foods, purely medicinal substances are also made use of with the idea that they would prove useful in maintaining the health and stimulating the appetite of the animals. These medicinal ingredients constitute but a small proportion of the compound, although they add considerably to the cost of manufacture. The following is a formula for a condimental food, which in every respect will be found fully equal, if not superior, to the ordinary high-priced articles.

cwt. qrs. lbs.
Linseed-meal, or cake 7 0 0
Locust beans (ground) 8 0 0
Indian corn 4 1 0
Powdered turmeric 0 1 4
Ginger 0 0 3
Fenugreek-seed 0 0 2
Gentian 0 0 10
Cream of tartar 0 0 2
Sulphur 0 0 20
Common salt 0 0 10
Coriander-seed 0 0 5
————————
One ton.

A ton of condimental food manufactured according to this formula will cost only about the same amount as an equal weight of linseed, and will produce an effect fully equal to that of the food which at one time was sold at £60 per ton.