1846.] Feeding of Cattle. 307 



abstruse but interesting course of reasoning; but it is de^'''^! 1^^ to 

 show how readily the non-azotised principles may become fat. 

 If, for example, we take for the purpose of illustration, starch. If 

 from this substance we subtract one equivalent of carbonic acid, 

 and seven of oxygen, we have left the elements of fat, thus: C,2 

 H,o Oio — (C 0,-{-0 7)=zC,, H,o 0; if by pecnliar processes 

 in the animal organism, fat is thus formed by a separation of ox- 

 ygen and carbonic acid, then it is probable that these latter sub- 

 stances are not given out in the free state; in fact we know they 

 are not; but that they meet in the system with other substances, 

 with which they possess the property of entering into combination. 



" Whatever views," writes Liebig, " we may entertain regard- 

 ing the origin of the fatty constituents of the body, this much at 

 least is undeniable, that the herbs and roots consumed by the cow 

 contain no butter; that in hay or other fodder no suet exists; that 

 no hog's lard can be found in the potato refuse given to swine; 

 and that the food of geese or fowls contain no goose or capon fat. 

 The masses of fat found in these animals are formed in their or- 

 ganism; and when the full value of this fact is recognized, it en- 

 titles us to conclude that a certain quantity of oxygen, in some 

 form or other, separates from the constituents of their food; for 

 without such separation of oxygen, no fat could be formed from 

 one of these substances." 



Great interest has lately been excited on the question of fat- 

 tening cattle, in consequence of the importance which has been 

 attached to it in connection with the question of the repeal of the 

 malt tax. It has been argued that the agricultural interest would 

 be materially benefitted by such repeal, as under such circumstan- 

 ces malt might be then advantageously used for the fattening of 

 cattle. But before giving up a revenue of more than twenty 

 millions dollars, afforded by the tax on malt, government deter- 

 mined to test the question experimentally, and accordingly em- 

 ployed Dr. Thompson and Dr. R. Thompson to examine the mat- 

 ter. Their report on the subject contains results of an extremely 

 interesting character, both as regards the comparative value of 

 malt and barley in the production of milk and butter in the cow, 

 as well as the production of fat in animals. 



Before a determinate conclusion can be formed of the relative 

 value of these two substances for the preceding uses, several im- 

 portant facts must be undei stood and borne in mind respecting the 

 relation of malt and barley to each other. 100 parts of barley 

 dried at a temperature of 212 deg., leaves 90.54 of dry matter; 

 that is, loses nearly 10 per cent of moisture. The dried specimen 

 consisting of C 46.11, H 6.65, N 1.91, 42.24, ash 3.09=100. 

 The quantity of N (nitrogen,) would indicate about 12.25 per 

 cent albumen. 



