734 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW- YORK 



carries in consequence 50 per cent, more cattle, and fattens them 

 much more quickly than before. Mr. Garnett attributes this not 

 solely to t le increased produce, but also to the improved quality 

 of the grass, which in my estimation will in a great measure be 

 owing to the greater percentage of sugar, starch, &c. 



Assuming that cattle whilst on pasture require an equal quan- 

 tity of solid matter as when supplied with 175 lbs. turnips and 5 

 lbs. of straw per day, they would consume 23.65 lbs., or 4,290 

 lbs. in 24 weeks, and taking into account that pastures have 

 some admixture of perennial clovers, which are richer in albu- 

 minous matter than tlie natural grasses, we may compute the 

 percentage of abumen as increased to 12 per cent. Thus the 

 4,290 lbs. consumed in 24 weeks will contain of albuminous 

 matter 516 lbs.; that in the turnips with straw is computed at 

 516.60. 



These enquiries tend to show that the increase of oilcake and 

 other substances, rich in albuminous matter, in the more ad- 

 vanced stages of feeding, has no other effect, so far as the nitroge- 

 nous matter is concerned^ than to enrich the manure; they tend 

 likewise to show that the gain of weight in fattening is much 

 more due than has hitherto been supposed, to the oil and other 

 respiratory or fat-forming ingredients of the food. 



I compute the gain of fat per week as consisting of — 



Lbs. 



Loose fat, or tallow, 3 



Suet, or fat in the loin, 1 



Fat mixed with meat and sold as beef, _ 7- 



11 



Nor do I think this an over-estimate, as it will be admitted that 

 the gain of carcase fat, independent of the loose fat or tallow, is 

 greater than that of flesh. The whole of the exterior of the car- 

 case immediately under the skin is covered with a layer of fat, 

 which, when the beast is lean scarcely exceeds I to \ inch in 

 thickness, whilst in fattening it increases frequently to*l|, i. e. 

 sixfold or upwards. The fatty portions throughout increase also, 

 and the flesh becomes intermixed with fat, and assumes what is 

 termed the mottled appearance, which is the characteristic of 

 beef of prime quality. 



