Composition of Farm Animals 97 



water and over two -thirds fat. The percentage of pro- 

 tein in the increase is also very small. 



Not only does fattening an animal materially modifj^ 

 the composition, bnt the proportion of butcher's meat 

 is greatly increased- 



Proportion of dressed carcass {per cent) 



Ox Sheep Swine 



Lean animal 47. 45. 73. 



Fat animal 60. 53. 82. 



These slaughter tests were made hy Lawes and Gilbert, 

 and they explain in part why a fat steer is worth so 

 much more per pound of live weight, even if the quality 

 of the meat is no higher. It may be said, in a gen- 

 eral way, that the carcass portion of the animal body 

 varies with bovines and sheep from 50 to 65 per cent 

 of the live weight, according to age and condition. 

 Swine "dress away" not far from one -fifth. 



It would be possible to go further in our discussion 

 of the animal body and consider it from the structural 

 or anatomical point of view. It is certainly important 

 to know something of the organs involved in digestion, 

 respiration and assimilation if we would reach a clear 

 understanding of how the food is made available and 

 utilized, but such facts as are deemed necessarj^ con- 

 cerning these specialized tissues we will take up in 

 their appropriate connections. 



