84 STATES OF THE RIVER PLATE. 



but of a class, and in due proportions, requisite for its 

 fullest development in all its parts, with a slight increase 

 of one or other constituent of food, when any deficiency 

 is noticeable, or any special ' force,' or quality, is required 

 to be brought out or developed. Should there be an 

 insufficient proportion of fat-forming and respiratory ma- 

 terials in the food, the animal would become lean, and the 

 heat of the body would be insufficient ; and in the absence 

 of a sufficient supply of combustible matter, it would 

 prey upon its own tissues. In the like manner, an insuf- 

 ficiency of flesh-forming substances would cause the 

 animal to shrink in muscle and decline in weight and 

 strength : an excess of fatty matters would clog up and 

 impede the action of vital functions and procreative 

 powers ; a deficiency of albuminous compounds would 

 weaken these powers, and affect the progeny to a very 

 serious degree ; the inevitable result would be degene- 

 racy in size, quality, and form, and deficiency in length, 

 strength, and quantity of wool. 



It is of the greatest importance to the breeder of fine 

 stock, especially with respect to the males which are 

 destined to cross with less highly bred ewes, that, by a 

 course of judicious feeding, he should impart to them 

 that predominance of size, force, vigour, and procreative 

 power, which would ensure their transmitting to their 

 progeny their own type and quality. It is equally im- 

 portant to this end, that the ram should be fully deve- 

 loped have attained maturity (two years, or upwards), if 

 possible, before he is admitted to ewes. It is on these 

 perfectly intelligible grounds that I have, in my first 

 paper, laid so much stress on keeping the rams apart 

 from the flock and feeding them well ; giving them, as 

 part of their food, an allowance of corn and bran, as 

 being a more highly azotised or concentrated albuminous 



