610 



VENTILATION AND CLEANLINESS. 



animals when netted in the jungles, with the view of taming and speedily 

 fattening them. The ahsence of light indeed, ho>vever produced, seems 

 to soothe and quiet all animals, to dispose ihem to rest, to make less food 

 necessary, and to induce them to store up more of what they eat in the 

 form of fat and muscle. 



An experiment made by Mr. Morton, on the feeding of sheep, shows 

 the effect at once of shelter, of (juiet, and of the absence of light upon 

 the quantity of food eaten and of mutton produced from it. 



Five sheep, of nearly equal weights, were fed each with a pound of 

 oats a-day and as much turnips as they chose to eat. One was fed in 

 the open air, two in an o[)en shed — one of them being confined in a crib — 

 two more were fed in a close shed in the dark — and one of these also was 

 confined in a crib, so as to lessen as much as possible the quantity of ex- 

 ercise it should take. The increase of live weight in each of the five, 

 and the quantity of turnips they respectively consumed, appear in the 

 following table : — 



From this table it appears, as we should have expected — 

 a. That much less — one-third less — turnips was eaten by the animal 

 ■which was sheltered by the open shed, than by that which was without 

 shelter, while in live weight it gained four pounds more. 



h. That in the dark the quantity of turnips eaten was one-half less, 

 and the increase of weight a little greater still. 



c. But that when confined in cribs — though the food eaten might be a 

 little less — the increase in weight was not so great. The animal, in 

 fact, was fretful and restless in confinement, and whatever produces this 

 effect upon an animal prevents or retards its fattening. 



d. That the most profitable return of mutton from the food consumed, 

 is when the animal is kept under shelter an<] in the dark. 



Such a mode of keeping animals, however, must not be entered upon 

 hastily or without due consideration. The habits of the breed must be 

 taken into account, the effect of the confinement upon their health must 

 be frequently attended to, and, above all, the ready admission of fresh air 

 and a good ventilation -must not be forgotten. By a neglect of the pro- 

 per precautions, unfortunate results have frequently been obtained and a 

 sound practice brought into disrepute. 



5°. Ventilation and cleanliness indeed are important helps to economy 

 in the feeding of all animals. Shelter and warmth will do harm, if free 

 and pure air is not admitted to the fattening stock. The same is true of 

 cleanliness, so favourable to the health of all animals. The cleaner 

 their houses and skins are kept, the more they thrive under any given 

 form of treatment in other respects. 



