86 STATES OF THE RIVER PLATE. 



animal are taxed for other purposes, and another life is 

 given to the young ewe to maintain and form within her- 

 self, the means of her own development, the albuminous 

 and the fatty matters, wiU be abstracted from her tender, 

 ductile, immature body, to be used in the development of 

 the foetus ; and as there is thus a double call, and an in- 

 sufficiency for the two purposes, both suffer. Also, as 

 regards the man ; until he has completed his growth he 

 has nothing to spare ; so that too early a call upon his 

 procreative powers is an obstruction of the albuminous 

 compounds which are required to build up his flesh, 

 muscle, and strength. So great is this drain on even the 

 powers of a mature ram, during the season that he is with 

 the ewes, that, although he has, by careful and hberal 

 feeding, stored up within him a reserve of substance and 

 vigour, nevertheless he will suffer unless his feeding be 

 fully maintained. Indeed to meet this drain, extra-careful 

 and liberal feeding is advisable. There is a ' waste ' going 

 on, and this 'waste' must be constantly replaced by sup- 

 plying to the body that which it parts with in another 

 form. As the ram is restless and working at this period, 

 it is desirable to give him his food in a form easily and 

 speedily eaten ; as otherwise liis restlessness might pre- 

 vent his eating a sufficiency ; and, at the same time, it 

 would be weU to make it more digestible and more easily 

 assimilated, by means of the finer crushing of his maize, 

 and the addition of a little barley — both softened with a 

 little boiling water, sufficient to swell the grain shghtly. 

 The corn so softened should stand for two or three hours 

 before feed-time, adding dry bran to the com, when 

 cool. 



The knowledge of the nutritive value of different foods 

 is of importance to the breeder, as will be readily under- 

 stood from the tables I have given. 



