FATTENING CATTLE. 



579 



FATTENING CATTLE. 



A DISSKIIT.VTION ON THE PHILOSOPHY OP FATTENING CATTLE.. .PART IL 



Much discussion has arisen between Mons. 

 Dumas and Bai-on Liebig resjiecting the 

 fonnatiou of i'lit ; the French ))hilosopher 

 maintains that the vogetabk^ which is par- 

 taken as food by the animal, j)ossesses, al- 

 ready Ibrmed ia its stniclure, all the fat 

 wliicli is absolutely essential for the animal; 

 and tiiat, like the gluten which is necessary 

 tiir the Ibrmation of muscular or fleshy iibre, 

 the {ihosphate of lime for the bones, and the 

 starch or gum for the formation of animal 

 heat, the fat which is contained in the vegeta- 

 ble is destined to supply the fat in the animal 

 body. 



Oil the contrary, Baron Liebig contends 

 that if the animal is properly supplied with a 

 greater quantity of the non-uitrogenons con- 

 stituents of the food — viz. the sugar, starch, 

 and gum, than are necessary ibr the ]>ro|)er 

 supply of the demands in the animal ln'at, 

 they become converted into fat in the animal 

 economy. I am inclined to support the hy- 

 pothesis of Mens. Dumas; ibr, in my humble 

 opinion, I think it both simple and beautiful; 

 and, if we take into our consideration the 



animal in its primitive and original state, I 

 conceive the accuracy of the theory cannot 

 for a moment be questioned. But we must 

 remember that the great quantity of fat wo 

 .see accumulating in those oxen, sheep, and 

 other animals, which we keep confined in 

 our stalls, originates from an aiuiormal con- 

 dition of the system, and is produced by the 

 circumstances under which the animal is 

 placed ; and as snch, in addition to the fat 

 already formed in the viigetabie, the animal 

 possesses the power of secreting an addi- 

 tional portion of fat from the food which it 

 consumes. The eaithy and saline substances 

 which are contained in the crops themselves 

 have vei-y important duties to [lerform in the 

 animal body ; thus, for example, they atlbrd 

 a supply of ])liosphate of lime tljr tlie due 

 formatinu of bones, as well as the saline par- 

 ticles which are constantly present in the 

 blood, tlesli, softer tissues, and secreted fluids 

 of animals. How far the ordinary cultivated 

 crops are capable of ja-operly answering the 

 functions thus re()uired of them, you will see 

 on referring to the t()llowing TaVde : 



Yon will easily perceive from this useful 

 Table, that 100 parts of the various species of 

 crops grown by the fanner contain very va- 

 riable proportions of dry solid fooil ; tlius, in 

 order tlial the aniinnl may o})taiu the same 

 e(piivalent of dry food as 100 lbs. of hay 

 wotdd produce him, he must consume not 

 less, but probably moi-e, than GOO lbs. of 

 Swede turnips or carrots, or 300 lbs. of po- 

 ll 149) 



tatoes ; but of this diy matter, you will please 

 to bear in your recollection, the cumpt)sition 

 exerts a very material inHueiice over its value 

 as food. I have described the manner in 

 which the gluten, casein, and albumen of the 

 vesetable are converted into the blood, flesh, 

 sfifter tissues and fluids of the animal : hence 

 young animals which are supi)lied with food 

 containing much of these muscle-formiug 



