siiKEi' MAyAOEMEXT.] AND Til 111 R VARIOUS BKEEDS. [siikkp manaoiment. 



80 called from its curious internal struo 

 ture, which is roriiicd by n j^rt-at number ot" 

 plaits, or folds, arraiigfJ loiii;itutliiially iu a 

 direction from tiio entrance of the stomach; so 

 that, althous^h it is not larc;e externally — not 

 exceedinj^ t!io reticulum — its external surfnco is 

 increased in more than a tenfold decree. These 

 plaits aro very curiously arraiij^ed, being in the 

 form of seven or eight {groups of six leaves, each 

 leaf dissimilar in lenj^th, tho largest extending 

 almost froi i tho upper to t!io lower part of the 

 stomach. These leaves arc studded with 

 numerous small pupillae, much harder than 

 those of the reticulum, and some on the edges 

 of the plaits, of the shape of a bent cone, the 

 points directed towards the entrance. It has 

 been found, in certain cows that would never 

 retain their Ibod, but were continually scour- 

 ing, that these plaits were unusually short. 

 The uianiplus has but one opening, but this 

 opening is in dii'ect coraniunicatiou with both 

 the canal and the fourth stomach. The plaits 

 are studded with numerous minute pupilla), 

 somewhat similar to those found in the reticu- 

 lum. The maniplus possesses four coats like 

 the others, and its external appearance is 

 globular. Its contents are generally found of 

 a much harder consistence than those of the 

 oth^r stomachs. This stomach, when full, is 

 found above the ojsophagean canal, forming, 

 indeed, a portion of its roof; and its longest 

 leaves fall down, as it were, almost into the 

 canal. The ahomasum, as the fourth stomach 

 is called, is, in fact, the true stomach, being 

 that which secretes the gastric juice, by which 

 the food is converted into chyme. It is this 

 peculiar acid which gives it the power of 

 coagulating milk; and, in calves, it is particu- 

 larly employed for this purpose in the manu- 

 factureof cheese, under the term rennet. Exter- 

 nally, this organ is somewhat conical in shape, 

 its apex being the part which joins the intes- 1 

 tines. It possesses three coats, like the other 

 stomachs, but its internal surface is very 

 different, being smooth and shining, and of a 

 pale-red colour. Its mucous membrane is, 

 indeed, very vasicular, and this secretes the 

 gastric juice. The internal surface is greatly 

 increased, and exceeds tlie external, by being 

 in the tbrm of plaits, arranged longitudinally, 

 but very different from those found in the 

 manii)lus. Tlie entrance to this stomach (its 



cardiac opening) is close to tho ontranco of 

 tho manipluH; it is arranged in a somewhat 

 crescentic form, and is sitinited at one ex- 

 tremity of tho base ; whilst the pyloric opening, 

 backfng into tho small intestine, is, as before 

 observed, situated at tho apex. Such is tho 

 situation and appearance of the stomachs; and 

 we deem it unnecessary to follow tho course of 

 tho food through them. 



"To meet the necessity of all these slomacha 

 in the sheep, wo all know that a certain quan- 

 tity of food is required, that tho animal may 

 not only bo preserved in health, but be kept 

 alive. This quantity is designated its neces- 

 sar}' ration of food ; and if it is given more 

 after it has consumed this portion, it will 

 grow in flesh, or yield milk, or wool. When 

 an animal is growing, whether of tho human 

 or any other species, it should never be stinted 

 iu its food. Keep tiie stomachs of babies and 

 puppies full, and thero will be comparatively 

 little crying in the one, or whining in the 

 other. Stint them, however — never let them 

 feel themselves full, and they will necessarily 

 make known their dissatisfaction. It has 

 been found that an ox requires two per cent, 

 of his living weight in hay per day ; if he 

 works, be requires one-half per cent. more. 

 A milch cow requires three per cent. ; and a 

 fatting ox five per cent. — four-and-a-half when 

 half fat, and only four when fat. Grown 

 sheep take three-and-a-half per cent, of their 

 weight iu hay per day, in order to be kept in 

 store condition." 



Mr. E-ichardson, in his treatise on the Sheep, 

 supposes a fiirmer purchasing a score of the 

 Leicester and Cheviot hogs at the same period, 

 and feeding them for the same length of time 

 on. the same food; when the results would bo 

 something like the following :■ — 



£ t. d. & s. d. 

 20 Leicester hops, at 335., bought in spring 33 



Then Eay 7 lbs. each of -wonl, at an average 

 price of Is. 1'/. per lb., 7s. 7rf. each, or . 7 IS 6 



Si)l(l off fat, say at Chiistinas, weighing 

 24 lbs. per quarter, at 5J. per lb. . . 40 U 



The 20 sheep will leave for food and profit 



20 Cheviot hoRS, at 20s. 



Then say 3 Ins. of wool each, at Is. \d. 



Sold oil' fut, 18 lbs. per quarter, ut ijd. 



The sheep ■will leave for food and profit . 1 J 3 



As quiet and warmth contribute in a largo 

 degree to the fattening of sheep, these should 



73t) 



