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animals, yet it is equally true that there are more scraggy, 

 rough sheep in the country than fine, fat ones. This is due 

 to the difference in pasturage. Sheep, themselves, know all 

 about this, and going into a sheep lot, it will be seen that 

 the turf is eaten closely in spots some places do not seem 

 to have been touched, while others are cropped perfectly 

 bare; nor will the spots that are left ever be grazed by 

 them unless driven by absolute hunger. The whole animal 

 is composed of the precise elements of the soil, and in order 

 to advance the growth and health most rapidly, it must be 

 seen that the products of the soil contain those elements 

 essential to it. Clean, dry wool contains about 17 per cent 

 of nitrogen and 5 per cent of sulphur in 100 parts; there- 

 fore, when the pasturage abounds in these principles and is 

 abundant, the wool has a clear, glossy appearance and a 

 considerable amount of a greasy, adhesive substance called 

 yolk. This yolk serves to keep the wool in a lively, healthy 

 condition; in fact, its presence in quantity is an indication 

 that the sheep are in a healthy, thriving condition, as its 

 absence is attended with a harsh, dry feeling to the touch, 

 and the fleece is of an inferior quality. Potash enters 

 largely into the composition of yolk, therefore food to 

 nourish them properly must contain a proper quantity of 

 potash and sulphur, besides nitrogenous compounds. From 

 the following composition of the blood and flesh of a sheep 

 it will be seen what a large amount of mineral substances 

 are required in its food, viz. : 



BLOOD. FLESH. 



Phosphate of soda *... 16.77 45.10 



Chloride of sodium (or salt) 59.34 \ .,. QA 



Chloride of potassium 6 12 / 



Sulphate of soda 3.85 trace. 



Phosphate of magnesia 4.19 ~| 



Oxide and phosphate of iron 8.28 V 6.84 



Sulphate of limte : 1.45 J 



100.00 97.88 



The bones are composed principally of phosphate and 

 carbonate of lime. 



