THE SCIENCE OF NUTRITION 203 



Results already published indicate the possibility of 

 important economies in meat production. So far 

 the investigations have been confined to the pro- 

 cess of fattening for beef and mutton. They are 

 now being extended to growth, in the hope of 

 throwing light on the cost of production of beef at 

 different ages. 



It appears to be generally recognized that in 

 the future the country must make every possible 

 endeavour to become more nearly self-supporting 

 as regards food supply. The production of meat 

 for human food is under any conditions a wasteful 

 process. During 20 weeks of fattening a bullock 

 eats something like 7 tons of turnips or mangolds, 

 f ton of hay or straw, and J ton of cake or meal, 

 in all about 2 tons of dry food, in order to increase 

 in weight about 2j cwt. In other words about 

 1 6 Ib. of dry food is required to produce I Ib. of 

 increased carcase weight. This statement at once 

 suggests that there should be room for economy in 

 beef production. The science of nutrition bears as 

 directly on the keeping of horses and the produc- 

 tion of bacon and milk, as on the production of fat. 



The live-stock industry involves enormous 

 capital Heape estimates it at over .400,000,000 

 and is responsible for over half the meat supply 

 and nearly the whole milk supply of the nation. 



It requires no special pleading to show the im- 

 portance of the application of scientific method to 

 an industry of this magnitude. The principles of 



