proximates lignin, the more insoluble and innu- 

 tritious it is. 



Herbivorous foofi for the yonng animal is 

 naturally required, from its abounding with sev- 

 eral elementary principles, as ammonia, &c. in 

 unity vyitli earthy matter ; which, taken in with 

 the food in depasturing and uniting with the in- 

 herent Ibrmation of phosphoric and muriatic 

 acid (and the phosphoric acid in the farinaceous 

 food,) form the phosphate and muriate of lime. 

 Wheat, with the gelatine of the fariua, consti- 

 tutes the formation of bone ; hence the necessity, 

 or rather advantage, of supplying the growing 

 animal with such a material. 



The next series of substances are those which 

 contain the saccharine principle, and are nitro- 

 genized in the minimum. They are disposed 

 to the formation of fat. They consist of the dif- 

 ferent sorts of bulbous or esculent roots, as tur- 

 nips, m;ingel, beet, &c. These substances, when 

 mixed with the nutitrive matter of the farinacea, 

 constitute the essential compound necessary for 

 the production of fat and muscle in the animal 

 body. 



The table subjoined is one of equivalents, by 

 the celebrated cliemist, Brande, shov/iug the 

 relative quantity of albumen and other matter 

 in leguminous and bulbous food. 



100 Parts. 



Barley 



Oats 



Beans 



Acorns, 2 months dried 



vSv?ede Turnip 



Conmion Globe 



s5:e 



92 

 75 

 80 

 69 



a 



75 

 60 

 52 

 40 



JL 



I 





10 

 13 

 25 

 27 

 U 

 I 



This table is practically one of my own, as to 

 the quantity of nutritive matter in the aconi. 

 On reference to it, any one will quickly perceive 

 those bodies which dispose to make fat or flesh : 

 thus experience has shown the decided advan- 

 tage of giving to animals bulbous roots, with 

 those substances rich in albumen, when they 

 are preparing for the butcher, and when growth 

 is requisite to be freely allo^ved to the young 

 depasturins? beast. Gelatine, a substance natu- 

 rally abundant in the vegetable creation, is also 

 a chief ingredient in the animal tissue. 



The scientific agriculturist will di.scover the 

 best method on reference to the table. As far 

 as philosophy teaches, those substances that have 

 the property either of forming fat or muscle, are 

 the azotized and non-azotized food in their rela- 

 tive proportions. The disposition of certain 

 breeds to make fat internally, and of others ex- 

 tenially. is a physiological fact, which can only 

 bo explained on the principle of those breeds 

 acquiring such a disposition hereditarily, or it 

 may be from the animal possessing such an ap- 

 titude from the method of feeding in conformity 

 with the selection of food. Now the breed of 

 the South Devons are coarse, bony, large ani- 

 mal.s, and not dispo.sed to make fat on the super- 

 fices of the body, but more internally : the North 

 Devon is a small-boned and kindly animal, and 

 disposed to fatten either externally or internally. 

 A North Devon is a bad handler, with other 

 points good: physiologically, we should infer 

 that fat would be deposited interaally, from the 

 skin being thick and inelastic, showing the ab- 

 sence of tbos<; tissues that are for the reception 

 of fat externally. Suppose "we have a South- 



rj7ii) 



hammer, a good handler, with a mellow and 

 plastic skin, and every other denotation of being 

 disposed to fatten, the probability is, diat the fat 

 would be deposited externally. In my Immble 

 opinion it is so with every other breed. We 

 must attend more to the external form and 

 quality, in conjunction with locality, climate, 

 and soil. Guernseys or Alderneys make fat but 

 very indifierently externally. I well know 

 practically, that an animal of either breed, with 

 good .skin and good bone, &c.is inclined to fatten 

 on the outside ; but, when such is the case, there 

 is an absence of it internally. The circulatory 

 system, with the local form of an animal, may 

 also be reckoned amongst those causes which 

 tend to balance the fat indiscriminately either 

 inside or out. Say that an animal kindly dis- 

 posed to fatten has a few points that prepond- 

 erate ; for instance, he is large over the sirloin — 

 the blood vesseLs, nerves, and muscles of such 

 a part take on a corresponding size. When he 

 begins tO have more food given to him, the cir- 

 culatory system becomes more full of blood, and, 

 as a natural consequence, the larger parts have 

 a greater influx of blood — thus tlie growth of 

 the.se parts either in fat or muscle, and they be- 

 come of larger proportions, and deposit more 

 fat than those which are not commensurate in 

 vascular action. 



Before concluding these remarks I beg to 

 offer an opinion respecting small lungs, as stated 

 by Dr. Lyon Playfair (at a meeting of the coun- 

 cil of the B-oyal Agricultural Society) that they 

 are more favorable to the formation of fat. Dr. 

 P. says, horses have large lungs. I well know, 

 and not speculatively, that horses, if fed on 

 meal and potatoes, or turnips, quickly and 

 rapidly make fat. In fact, this is the compost 

 that horse dealers use to puff up the farmers' 

 cattle, so as give them a glossy and plump 

 look previous to sale, and the being put to 

 work in this state oftentimes cau.ses their 

 death. On opening them, I have seen them 

 loaded witli fat. 



Now this is not in accordance with Dr. Play- 

 fair's views. My firm conviction i.s, that animaJs 

 with small lungs in their growing state will in 

 proportion suffer in their external form. From 

 observations I have made on animals of divers 

 breeds, I have come to the conclusion, that they 

 make fat internally or externally, regularly or 

 irregularly, in accordance with the organization 

 in structural arrangement, linked ^^•ith those 

 grand principles that modifv' the external con- 

 foi-mation of every animal, locality, clime, and 

 .soil ; and. la.stly, the manner m which beans and 

 acorns harden the flesh of animals. That they 

 do so is an undisputed fact. The hardness of 

 flesh or muscle depends on the riclmess of its 

 lymph or fibrine. Beans and acorns contain 

 large quantities of vegetable albumen com- 

 pared with any other food given to horses or 

 cattle. It is on this account, that food which 

 contains a large share of albuminous constitu- 

 ents, when given to horses, cattle, or pigs, makes 

 them develop so great a degree of muscular 

 fii-mness; but when substances rich in starch, 

 mucilage, gum, or the saccharine principle, are 

 added to beans or acorns, the hardness of the 

 flesh becomes lessened, and the fat more emol- 

 lient. I have pratically proved this with horses. 

 I have given beans and acorns to horses with 

 hay -chaff on the farm. The mi/scular power 

 has been augmented, the flesh feels hard, they 

 work well without fatigue, do not perspire, aiid. 

 La fact, they are in full vigor. I have altered 



