Dairy Management. 169 



There are no grounds whatever for assigning to the younger 

 grasses a greater percentage of albuminous matter or flesh- 

 forming principle. 



The proportion of woody fibre is doubtless considerably in- 

 fluenced by the quickness of growth also, to which I have called 

 attention in a former Number of this Journal, the plants of 

 quicker growth having a less proportion of woody fibre, and more 

 of starch, sugar, &c. And to this I am disposed in a great 

 degree to attribute the fattening properties of fertile pastures in 

 comparison with those on poorer soils — in corroboration of which 

 I may state that I have, by dressing with bones and other 

 manures, inducing quickness of growth, converted old store pas- 

 tures on clay, on which cattle would graze for a season with but 

 little increase, into fattening pastures. Mr, Garnett also, of 

 Wharfeside, near Otley, has found a like effect from top-dressing 

 pasture with guano, at the rate of 1 cwt., and 1 cwt. common 

 salt per acre for three seasons in succession ; this pasture on 

 alluvial loam carries in consequence 50 per cent, more cattle, 

 and fattens them much more quickly than before. Mr. Garnett 

 attributes this not solely to the increased produce, but also to 

 the improved quality of the grass, which in my estimation will 

 in a great meiisure be owing to the greater percentage of sugar, 

 starch, &c. 



Assuming that cattle whilst on pasture require an equal quantity 

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

 of straw per day, they would consume 23*65 lbs., or 4290 lbs. in 

 24 weeks, and taking into account that pastures have some ad- 

 mixture of perennial clovers, which are richer in albuminous 

 matter than the natural grasses, we may compute the percentage 

 of albumen as increased to 12 per cent. Thus the 4290 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 oi oilcake and 

 other substances, rich in albuminous matter, in the more advanced 

 stages of feeding, has no other effect, so far as the nitrogenous 

 element is concerned, than to enrich the manure ; they tend like- 

 wise to show that the gain of weight in fattening is much more 

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

 ratory 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 



