296 Agricultural Chemistry — Sheep- Feedivg and Manure, 



It can scarcely be said that there is more than a general coin- 

 cidence as to tendency to jjreater or less gain or loss at the dif- 

 ferent periods, as shown in this summary. Some coincidence, 

 however, there certainly is, for we find that at almost every period 

 three if not four pens will bear the same general character as to 

 gain or loss at the same time ; and that, if any figure which is 

 discrepant, be not explained on reference to the table of detail, by 

 the evidently casual or unhealthy state of a single animal, a 

 change to the opposite character immediately succeeds. There 

 is at any rate a sufficiency of regularity to show that its cause is 

 connected with a condition of the animal, apart from the casual 

 irregularities in their management and the supply of their food, 

 which a closer observation in relation to the health of the animal, 

 and to the external circumstances affecting it, may serve to ex- 

 plain. Whatever be the cause of the fluctuation, however, the 

 fact of it should be kept constantly in view by the experimenter, 

 in order that erroneous conclusions founded upon temporary or 

 accidental indications may be avoided. 



In the following table are shown the average weekly consump- 

 tion of food, and increase of each animal, throughout the entire 

 period of nineteen weeks : — • 



SERIES II. 



Table 4. — Showing the Average Weekly Consumption of Food per Sheep, 

 and the Average Weekly Increase of each Animal in pounds and ounces. 



By this summary it is seen that the average weight of the ani- 

 mals in the first and second pens, having respectively oil-cake 

 and linseed, w^ere identical at the commencement of the experi- 

 ment ; that of those in Pens 3 and 4, upon barley and malt, is 

 1 lb. less than that of the first two pens, but is identical in the 

 two pens, the foods of which are supposed to compare with each 

 other. The amounts of oilcake in Pen 1 , and of linseed in Pen 2, 

 are seen also to be identical. In the case of the pens upon barley 

 and malt respectively, owing, as before stated., to the sheep on the 



