459 



B.— (p. 120.) 



RELATIVE VALUE OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD FOR SHEEP. 



By M. De Domhasle. 



Some experiments performed by this celebrated agriculturist, are 

 well worthy of being recorded, as approaching nearer to an exact deter- 

 mination of the question of the relative nutritive properties of a ^evf of 

 the more common aliments of sheep and cattle than any which we re- 

 member to have seen. 



He divided forty-nine sheep into seven lots, of seven sheep each, in 

 such a manner that the total weight of each lot should be as nearly as 

 possible equal to each of the rest. Each lot was kept in a separate di- 

 vision of the stable ; the food was given to each lot in rations of equal 

 weight ; and by means of scales, the total weight of each lot was taken 

 once a week, and the experiment was continued five weeks. The 

 weight of each lot was four hundred and thirty-six pounds. 



The substances subjected to examination were : 1. Dry Lucern : 

 2. Oil cake from flax seed : 3. Oats and barley : 4. Crude potatoes : 

 5. Cooked potatoes : 6. Beets : 7. Carrots. 



The dry lucern formed the unit of the estimate. One of the seven 

 lots was fed exclusively on dry lucern ; and each of the six others re- 

 ceived just half the quantity of lucern, and the remainder of the ration 

 consisted of such a portion of one of the alimentary substances as was 

 found sufficient by a careful weighing during the five weeks, to keep 

 each lot in the same healthy condition. The following table shows the 

 current progress of the experiment ; the quantity of water drunk by 

 each lot of sheep during the five weeks being also measured by a guaged 

 trough. The author concludes that fifteen pounds of dry lucern may be 

 considered as a proper ration for one sheep per week, or rather more 

 than two pounds per day. The primitive weight of each lot, as before 

 observed, was four hundred and thirty-six pounds. 



