X78 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cording to its degree of maturity. The animals selected for illus- 

 tration of this point are sheep. Records not given in the table 

 show that; as the animals grew and fattened, the actual amount, 

 per head, of stomachs and contents increased considerably ; that 

 the intestines and contents did so in a much less degree ; that 

 the internal loose fat was more than trebled ; and that the other 

 internal parts, and their fluids, collectively, increased in nearly 

 the same proportion as the stomachs and contents. The general 

 result was, that the total ofi'al parts increased in actual amount 

 from the store to the very fat condition in the proportion of about 

 1 to If; but the total carcass parts augmented from 1 to nearly 

 2| — much more, therefore, than the total offal parts. 



Turning now to the figures in the table, it is seen that the per 

 cent., or proportion in 100 parts, of all the internal organs and 

 parts, excepting the loose fat, diminished very considerably as the 

 animals matured and fattened. Whilst the total offal parts di- 

 minished from 45'2 in the store to 40"6 in the fat, and to 35'5 per 

 cent, in the very fat condition, the carcass parts increased from 

 53'4 in the store, to_ 58"7 in the fat, and to 64:"1 per cent, in the 

 very fat condition. Tliat is to say, the so-called offal parts, which 

 are chiefly composed of the organs of reception, elaboration, and 

 transmission of the food constituents, increase in very much less 

 proportion than those parts which it is the object of the feeder 

 should be produced from the food consumed. 



Belation of the Increase, Manure, and Loss by Respiration, to the 

 Food consumed by different Anima,ls. 



We now come to the question of the description and amount of 

 food consumed by the different animals to produce a given amount 

 -of increase, and to the collateral questions of the relation of the 

 constituents in the increase and in the manure to those in the food 

 •consumed. 



Table III. shows the amounts of certain foods assumed to be re- 

 •quired for the production of 100 lbs. of increase in live weight — 

 of oxen, sheep and pigs, respectively. The amounts will, of 

 •course, vary, according to the qualit}'^ of the animal, the stage of 

 its development, the external conditions to which it is subjected, 

 the description and quality of the food, and so on ; but the quanti- 

 ties assumed are approximately those which will be required, 

 taking the average of large numbers of animals over the whole 

 period of fattening, and supposing foods of the descriptions indi- 



