336 Agricultural Chemistry — Sheep- Feeding and Manure. 



Table, showing the Consumption of Food and tlie Increase of Animal 

 per Week, for each 100 lbs. Live Weight,* as recorded by various 



observers. 



BEASTS. 



'^' It is obvious that, if description of animal, breed, age, length of continuance upon 

 the same food, &c., have any intlnence upon the progress of tlie animal, tliese Tables 

 of weekly consumption of food, and weekly gain upon 100 lbs. of live weight, cannot 

 be taken as sup))lying facts in every respect strictly comparable with each other. They 

 may, however, be taken as affording some useful information as to the average result 

 of the feeding process, by which at the same time some judgment may be formed as to 

 how far our own results agree in the main with those of other observers. The method 

 adopted in the construction of the Tables, with the view of bringing to one uniform 

 standard results obtained under such dissimilarity of circumstance, has been to calcu- 

 late the food consumed and llie increase obtained upon the mean weight of the animal, 

 as illustrated by the following example : — 



Five Downs fed at Rothamsted for 14 weeks, upon oats and swedes, gained 131^ lbs. 

 The weights were : — 



At commencement .... 558 

 At conclusion 689*5 



2)1247-5 

 Mean weight . . . 623-75 lbs. 



The total gain for 14 weeks being 131Jlbs., the weekly gain would be 9* 4 lbs. 

 Then say — 



623-75 : 9-4 : : lOO 

 100 



623-75)940-000(l-5 = l lb. 8oz. 

 623-75 



316-250 

 311-875 



weekly gain upon lOOllis, live weight, the food being estimated in like manner. 



