170 Dairy Management. 



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

 the o^ain of carcase fat, independent of the loose fat or tallow, is 

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

 carcase immediately under the skin is covered with a layer of 

 fat, which, when tlie beast is lean, scarcely exceeds | 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. 



The 24 weeks will then show an increase of 264 lbs. of fat. 

 As the oil in the turnips and straw is computed to be only 

 71"G5 lbs., there does not remain a doubt on my mind that the 

 greater proportion of fat stored up in this course of feeding is 

 derived from the starch, sugar, &c. 



In computing the proportion of fat derived from starch, a dif- 

 ferent relation obtains from what is observed in its efficacy for 

 respiration, owing to the greater percentage of oxygen in starch 

 and sugar as compared with that in oil, oxygen being required 

 in much larger quantity than carbon or hydrogen in the respira- 

 tory process. 



Oxygen. Carbon. Hydrogen. 



Starch and sugar contain on an average .. 51'3G .. 42-23 .. 6'41 

 Fat or oil .' 10-13 .. 78-13 .. 11-74 



The proportion of carbon to hydrogen in each is very similar, 

 being somewhat less than 7 of carljon to 1 of hydrogen, from 

 which it appears that nearly 2 lbs. of starch are requisite to make 

 1 lb. of solid fat, or about 90 of starch for 50 of fat. 



Physiologists attribute to fat, besides the maintenance of heat, 

 the property of facilitating digestion. Lehmann describes fat as 

 one of the most active agents in effecting the metamorphosis of 

 food, and confirms this by his own experiments, and others 

 by Elsasser. 



It seems probable that the English feeder in fattening his 

 cattle, and the foreign cook who saturates the lean-fed beef of his 

 country with olive-oil, are alike unconsciously pursuing the same 

 object — that of rendering their material more easy of digestion, 

 and consequently more palatable. 



In my treatment of daiinj cows I find it advantageous to 

 supply, in addition to oi-dinary food, materials particularly rich 

 in albuminous matter, and to give more in proportion to those 

 cows which give the largest yield of milk. 



My conclusions in regard to fatteniMj are, that by ordinary 

 food you can afford an adequate supply of albumen for the 

 maintenance and likewise for the increase in assimilation of 

 fibrine, and that the gain by fattening is in a great measure due 



