ON PASTURES. 15 



same field. It has been well said that " the dead earth and the 

 living animal are but links of the same chain of natural existences, 

 the plant being the connecting bond by which they are tied to- 

 gether." The flesh and wool of the sheep, therefore, are but pro- 

 ducts from the soil, and contain nothing but what has existed in 

 the plants which the sheep have consumed. When wool is clean 

 and dry, 100 pounds of it contain 17 pounds of nitrogen, and 5 

 pounds of sulphur. When the pasture is sufficiently nutritious 

 and the sheep is in good health, a quantity of soapy, greasy matter, 

 called yolk, adheres to the fleece. When this is abundant it is a 

 proof that the food of the sheep is healthful and sufficient. When 

 it is deficient, and the wool is harsh and dry to the touch, it is a 

 sign that the sheep's health is suffering from defective nutriment. 

 This yolk contains a large proportion of potash. To be properly 

 nutritious, the food must contain this needed sulphur and pot- 

 ash, along with nitrogen . and other necessary matters. A fair test 

 of the requisite quality of the food of the sheep may be taken from 

 the composition of the flesh and blood of the animal, for there is 

 nothing in the flesh, skin, bones, or wool that does not exist in 

 the blood. The following are the inorganic or mineral materials 

 contained in the ash of the blood and flesh of an animal : 



Blood. Flesh. 



Phosphate of Soda 16.77 45.10 



Chloride of Sodium 59.34 ) ,- . 



Chloride of Potassium 6.12 ) 



Sulphate of Soda 3.85 trace 



Phosphate of Magnesia 4.19 ) 



Oxide and Phosphate of Iron 8.28V 6.84 



Sulphate of Lime 1.45 ) 



100.00 97.88 



The bones of the sheep contain from 60 to 70 per cent of phos- 

 phate and carbonate of lime, with a little magnesia. The excre- 

 ment, both solid and liquid, of the sheep contain a large variety of 

 mineral elements, which are also necessary to the healthful animal 

 economy. The urine contains two per cent of mineral matter, 

 and the dung 13| per cent, the composition of which is as follows : 



ASH OF URINE. 



Sulphate of Potash 2.98 



Sulphate of Soda 7.72 



Chloride of Sodium 32.01 



Chloride of Potassium 12.00 



Carbonate of Lime 82 



Carbonate of Soda 42.25 



Carbonate of Magnesia 46 



Phosphate of Lime, Magnesia, and Iron 70 



Silica !............ JL.06 



100.00 



