THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



3b I 



of their food into butter or fat to such exteat es their particular 

 organiam is fitted for effecting it. 



In the treatment of the six cows it will be aeeu that the oil 

 ia the food is inadequate for the supply of the butter and of 

 the fat, some portion of which will have been derived from the 

 Btarch, sugar, &c. Of the efficacy and adaptation of these for 

 the production of fat, I propose to explain my views by draw- 

 ing a comparison as to the production of food adapted for the 

 use of man in the form of beef and of milk, on which I find 

 in recent and deservedly popular works what appear vague and 

 extravagant statemeuts.* 



On entering upon this comparison it is necessary that I should 

 explain my conclusions on a subject ta which, as far as my 

 reading and information exteud, little inquiry or attention 

 has been given, viz., the whole gain of weight and the pro- 

 portions of useful material and offal made by the cattle whilst 

 fattening. 



Weight of meat (jained by fattening cattle. — Not being a 

 breeder of horned stock, I purchase my milk cowa and cattle 

 for fatteaing iu the markets of the neighbourhood. I prefer, 

 for fattening, full-grown cows, which have had one, or, at the 

 most, two calves, at from three to five years old. The breeds 

 of this district are mixed short-horus, the bulls used having a 

 large admixture of short-horn blood. The live weight of the 

 cattle I buy for fattening is from 7 cwt. to 9 cwt. each. Their 

 capability of carrying additional weight may be taken at 3 

 cwt. ; so that when prime fat they will weigh from 10 to 12 

 cwt. Their dead or carcase weight, if killed iu a lean state, 

 will be less than one- half their live weight, varying probably 

 from 43 to 46 per cent. In Morion's " Cyclopaedia," article 

 on meat, the comparison of carcase and live weight is stated 

 as 50 per cent, when half fat, of cattle of like quality. This 

 tends to confirm my estimate of the proportion of live to dead 

 weight of lean stock. 



I will consider for example a lean animal weighing 8 cwt., 

 and capable of weighing, when prime fat, 11 cwt. live weight ; 

 when fairly started, and with proper feeding, I should look for 

 au average gain of 14 lbs. per week live weight. At this rate 

 it would require 24 weeks to bring it to a state of prime fat- 

 ness, and the comparison of live and dead weight when lean 

 and fat would stand as follows : — 

 J i Live weight = 8 cwt. 



■^^^° I Dead weight, at 45 per cent. = . , . . 28| stone 

 -p , r Live weight = 11 cwt. 

 •^" I Dead weight, at 60 per cent. = .. .. 52| „ 



Gain in dead weight in 24 weeks 24 „ 

 or 14 lbs. per week, being precisely the average gain in live 

 weight. 



In the course of feeding there is a gradual increase of in- 

 terior fat of two descriptions— fat in the loins, which is weighed 

 with the carcase, and loose fat or tallow which coiuits as offal. 

 Even though this loo3e fat counts aa offal, it is well-known 

 that cattle well-stored with this weigh heavier in proportion 

 when killed than those with less, and which are in lower con- 

 dition. A consideration of this has led me to infer, that with 

 the increase of this interior fat there occurs a displacement of 

 material in process of digestion ; and on inquiry of butchers 

 of experience, 1 learn that one characteristic of a beast which 

 kills well, is to have a little stomach. On looking over the 

 items of offal of full-grown animals, they appear capable of 

 little vaiiation in the same animal, except the loose fat and the 

 stomach, in each of which there occurs a difference of 100 lbs. 

 or upwards. 



The writer of the article on Meat, in Morton's " Cyclopaedia," 

 attributes this greater carcase weight of fatted beasts to greater 

 solidity : to hollows being filled up and protuberances being 

 formed. It seems, however, clear that this would equally affect 

 the live weight, and does not therefore satisfactordy explain 

 the matter just mentioned. 



If these views be correct, it appears that besides a gain of 

 carcase weight, which is shown to be 14 lbs. per week, on 

 animals which gain this in live weight, there is likewise a gain 

 of loose fat, which, from observation, I am led to estimate at 

 3 lbs. per week, or 72 lbs. for the 24 weeks. Au animal in a 



• Professor Johnston, in his " Agricultural Chemistry," (p- 406) 

 quotes (though with hesitation) Sir Jolin Sinclair and M. Riedesel 

 the former of whom states that the same weight of herbage which 

 will produce less than 30 lbs. of dry human food in the form of 

 beef will yield 500 lbs. in the form of milk ; and the latter says 

 that the same quantity of hay will produce either 100 lbs. of beef 

 or 1,000 lbs. of milk. 



lean or store state will contain about 80 to 35 lbs. o( loose fet. 

 After 24 week's feeding, I should expect 104 to 112 lbs. oi 

 loose fat. 

 The gain in carcase weight Festimate as 14lb8. per week. 

 „ in loose fat 3 „ 



Whole grain per week l/lbs. 



I may here remark, that if the feeder expect a weekly re- 

 turn equal to the price of the whole of the gain in live 

 weight, he ia likely to be mistaken. Though favourably situ- 

 ated for the purchase of stock, I am seldom able to purchase 

 lean stock, which, if killed at the time of purchase, would 

 not, in accordance with the computation stated, cost more per 

 lb. than the price of fat stock at the same time. The differ- 

 ence ia my case will be from 30s. to 403. per beast, which will 

 be a deduction of Is. 6d. to 2s. per week from the earnings 

 reckoned on the gain of live weight. 



In addition to the interior fat, tallow, and suet, there is au 

 increase in the fat of the beef, and o that mixed with the 

 flesh. That this increases iu a greater proportion than the 

 flesh seems clear, as fat beef is a term used to signify beef 

 having a greater proportion of fat to flesh. I am therefore 

 disposed to estimate the gain per week as composed of 



Loose fat or tallow, per week ., .. .. 3 lbs. 

 Fat with beef and suet in the loin . . . . 8 

 Fibrine or flesh 6 



Total gain per week 17 



As flesh contains 77 per cent, moisture, the weekly gain for 

 each in dry material will be — 



rat 11 lbs. 



Dry fibre 1'38 



12-38 

 Extending this over 27J weeks, six cowa would have gained 

 in fattening — 



Fat 1802 lbs. 



Dry flesh 226 



2028 

 The gain by milk cows has been, during 27^ weeks 



In butter 1235 lbs. 



In sugar 1894 



lufdt 300 



Gain in respiratory elements . 3429 lbs. 



In casein 2100 



Iu fibrins 46 2146 



Salts or mineral matters 240 



5815 

 The whole computed gain iu solid food by milk-cows is 

 nearly three-fold, whilst that of casein is nearly len-fold the 

 amount of dry fibrine gained iu fattening. 



There is besides a consideration affecting the two processes: 

 by that of milking there is a continuous drain on the albumen 

 of the food by the production of caseiu, whilst by fattening 

 the tendency ia to repletion of the fibrine. When this has 

 acquired its full development, the requirements of albumen in 

 the food will be limited to what is necessary for the mainte- 

 nance of the flesh. 



Excrements of Fattening Cattle.— \Yith the object of in- 

 forming myself, and for the better understanding of my prac- 

 tice, I had recourse to the foUowiug experiments during the 

 years 1852 and 1853. Eight fair-sized fattening cattle were 

 supplied daily with 



181bs. oat straw, shells of oats, and bean-straw. 

 4 „ rape-cake and bean-meal, 



22 

 with which they drank about 701bs. of water each. The yield 

 from this in solid and liquid excrement was found to be, for 

 every lOOlbs. fodder and water, 72Jlbs. excrement, being about 

 10 tons per animal during the year. I give the analysis of the 

 excrement by Professor Way : — 



Moisture 81-77 lbs. 



Organic matter, sand, and silica .. 15'5I 



Phosphate of lime '65 



Other substauces 2-? 



Nitrogen 45 



100-00 

 ammonia -54 per cent. 



