FATTENING OF GROWN ANIMALS 255 



genous substance. The greater part of this last 

 goes to increase the amount of blood, and only the 

 residue is used for the formation of flesh. With 

 animals of an advanced age which are not in a 

 very low condition, but moderately well nourished, 

 there is very little gain in flesh to be reckoned 

 upon after fattening. The microscopic examination 

 of the muscle fibres of young and old animals has 

 shown this (p. 62), and the chemical analysis 

 carried out on grown animals at different periods of 

 fattening has confirmed it. In order that the 

 differences in the condition of flesh and fat can be 

 recognised during fattening, a number of sheep 2f 

 years old were taken and divided into groups, one 

 being killed and examined at once, another after 

 2^, and the third after 6J months' feeding. The 

 results showed that the animals contained the 

 following amounts of flesh per head : 



Group I. Group II. Group III. 



11-891 kg. . . 11740 kg. . . 12*123 kg. 

 which is in the proportion of : 

 100 : 99 : 102 



There was thus no increase in flesh to be noted as 

 the result of fattening. On the other hand, the 

 quantity of fat per animal was : 



5-406 kg. . . 15-077 kg. . . 19-019 kg. 

 which may be expressed thus : 

 100 : 279 : 352 

 From which it is seen that when grown animals in 



