FISH FODDER FOR CATTLE. 109 



that flesh meal was almost completely digested by pigs, and 

 that the increase of live weight was just about one pound for 

 every pound of flesh meal eaten. The fodder was given along 

 with barley meal, and it was reckoned that one pound of flesh 

 meal was equal to 3| lbs. of barley meal in the production of 

 live weight in the feeding of pigs. 



In 1875 Dr Hofmeister, at Dresden, tried to feed sheep on 

 flesh meal. It was long before they would take it, but eventu- 

 ally they did take it, and the quantity was gradually increased 

 up to three-quarters of a pound per head per day, but the result 

 was not so satisfactory as that with swine. There were six 

 trials made, lasting from 20 to 38 days each, and these showed 

 that on an average about 3 lbs. of flesh meal were required to 

 produce 1 lb. of live weight. He reckoned that 4 lbs. of barley 

 meal produced the same result as 3 lbs. of flesh meal, and as the 

 latter was very much dearer than the former it could not be 

 considered an economical diet for sheep. It may be that meat 

 meal is not well suited for sheep, or perhaps we have not learned 

 how to make it palatable for them, seeing that they are more 

 shy and dainty in their feeding than other farm stock. It is 

 not surprising, however, to find that other experimenters in 

 different parts of the Continent in 1875 found that cattle and 

 milch cows fed on meat meal readily enough. It was given in 

 quantities ranging from 1 to 3 lbs. per head per day, and the 

 res^^lts were very satisfactory both as regards increase of live 

 weight and production of milk. 



In 1874 H. Weiske, having heard of the success attending 

 the feeding of cattle in Norway with fish meal, made some ex- 

 periments with it on sheep. He obtained a quantity of fish 

 meal which was being sold as fish guano, containing about 9 per 

 cent, of nitrogen. The nitrogen in fish guano is derived from 

 albuminoid matter, so that in this sample there was about 56 

 per cent, of albumen, and there was only about 2 per cent, of 

 oil. Weiske found that the sheep made no difficulty about eat- 

 ing the fish meal, and he calculated that the albumen of the 

 meal was digested by them to the extent of about 80 per cent. 

 That is a very good result, just as good as would be attained 

 with oats ; but later experiments have shown that 90 per cent, 

 of the albuminoid of fish meal is digested, so that as regards 

 digestibility this form of fodder compares favourably with the 

 majority of good feeding cakes. But it is characteristic of fish 

 guano that it contains a large proportion of phosphate, usually 

 from 20 to 30 per cent., and Weiske made some experiments to 

 determine the relative manurial value of the phosphates before 

 and after being fed to the animals. He found that the phos- 

 phate contained in the dung was much more valuable than that 

 contained in the meal, and he therefore argued that the proper 



