

THE GENESEE FABMEE. 



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duces the most increase from a given amount of food. The following table will show 

 the amount of food consumed by each breed, to produce 100 lbs. increase : 



TABLE, Showing the avekage Food consctieb to pnoDucE 100 lbs. incebase dueikg thb perj^^d o" 2G weeks. 





From this table it will be seen that the Sussex sheep, to produce 100 lbs. increase of 

 animal, required 20^ lbs. more oilcake, 44^ lbs. more clover, and 145 lbs. more ruta 

 bagas, than the Ilampshires. The average weight of wool per head was, from the 

 Hampshires, 6 lbs. 4 oz. ; and from the Sussex, 5 lbs. 10 oz. The proportion of wool 

 to 100 lbs. live weight of animal was, for the Hampshires, 3|- lbs. ; and for the Sussex, 

 4^ lbs. The average weight per head of the Ilampshires when fat, including wool, was 

 183 lbs. ; and that of the Sussex, 141 lbs. The average weight of carcass of the Hamp- 

 shires was 101 lbs. 14 oz. ; of the Sussex, -76 lbs. 13 oz. The average weight of oftal 

 per head \yas, from the Hampshires, 12 lbs. 4 oz. ; from the Sussex, 9 lbs. 10 oz. The 

 exact age of the sheep is not stated ; but as they are called lambs, we presume when 

 killed they were about fifteen months old. 



Of the money results of the experiments we need not speak ; it depends on the ])rice 

 of oilcake and the cost of raising clover and ruta bagas. In England, however, it is 

 considered profitable, when fatting sheep on ruta bagas as the principal food, to give 

 them oilcake and clover chaff, providiiig the increased value of the sheep is sufiicieut to 

 pay for the additional food; the value of the manure, which is much improved by the 

 oilcake, more than paying for the ruta bagas and cost of attendance. 



Of the value of these two breeds of sheep our readers will be able to draw their own 

 conclusions from this summary of results given. It is evident that the consumption of 

 food per 100 lbs. live weight of animal is nearly identical in both cases, and that the 

 Hampshire will give a greater increase for this food than the Sussex sheep. The Sussex, 

 however, produced the most wool, which sold for one cent per pound more than the 

 Hampshire. Our own conclusions from these experiments, are, that the Hampshires will 

 be found more profitable for this country than the Sussex. 



Mr. Lawes is now trying experiments between the Cotswold and New Oxford, and 

 the Lincolnshire and Leicestershire breeds. He informs us in a private letter, that so 

 far as increase of animal from a given amount of food is concerned, the Cotswold are 

 superior to the New Oxford and both the Hampshire and Sussex downs. In an experi- 

 ment on Hampshire downs, on the nutritive value of different foods, Mr. Lawes found 

 that, sheep weighing 121^ lbs. a?t the commencement of the experiment, consumed 7 

 lbs. of oilcake and 22 lbs. of clover hay per head per week, and increased SOrJ: lbs. in 19 

 weeks, or 1 lb. 9^ oz, per head per week. The same kind of sheep by the side of these, 

 fed with linseed and clover hay, and weighing when put up exactly the same as the 

 others, consumed 7 lbs. of linseed and 20 lbs. of clover hay, and increased in 19 weeks 

 28|- lbs., or l-j lbs. per head per week. 



The oilcake used in all these experiments was American, which contains more nitrogen, 

 and sells for a higher price, (at present it is worth $40 per ton,) than the English. The 

 English contains imore oil than the American. This, however, does not materially 

 increase its value ; for it will be seen that, weight for weight., the cake which is left after 

 the oil is pressed out of the linseed, is more fatting than the linseed itself. This, so far 

 as we have seen, has been the result of every trustworthy experiment on the relative 

 value of oilcake and linseed as food for animals. It would indicate that oil is not of 

 such a fatting nature as has been generally supposed. 



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