FOOD. 



FOOD. 



The following table represents the relative 

 proportion of solid digestible matter contained 

 in 1000 parts of the different articles of food 

 which are enumerated. Upon an average, the 

 nutritive matter in a pound of meat is not more 

 than four ounces. This, however, applies only 

 to raw meat ; for, when dressed, a considerable 

 portion of its constituent water is dissipated. 



II. Table shoiving the average Quantity of Nutritive 

 Matter in 1000 parts of several varieties of Jini- 

 mal Food. 



Brines - - 510 



Mutton - - 290 



Beef - - 2(iO 



Chicken - 270 



Brain - - 200 



Haddor.k - 180 



Veal - - 250 



Pork - - 240 



Blood - - 215 



Cod and sole - 210 



White of egg - 140 



Milk - - 72 



A very interesting report on the nutritive 

 properties of food was recently presented to 

 the French Minister of the Interior, by MM. 

 Percy and Vauquelin, two members of the In- 

 stitute. The result of their experiments is as 

 follows : 



In bread, every 100 Ibs. weight is found to 

 contain 80 Ibs. of nutritious matter. Butchers' 

 meat, averaging the various sorts, contain only 

 35 Ibs. in 100. French beans (in the grain), 

 92 Ibs. in 100; broad beans, 89 ; peas, 93; len- 

 tilles, 94 in 100. Greens and turnips, which 

 are the most aqueous of all vegetables used 

 for domestic purposes, furnish only 8 Ibs. of 

 solid nutritious substance in 100. Carrots, 14 

 Ibs.; and what is very remarkable, as being in 

 opposition to the hitherto acknowledged theory, 

 100 Ibs. of potatoes only yield 25 Ibs. of sub- 

 stance valuable as nutritious. 1 Ib. of good 

 bread is equal to 2 Ibs. or 3 Ibs. of the best 

 potatoes ; and 75 Ibs. of bread and 30 of meat 

 are equal to 300 Ibs. of potatoes ; or, to go more 

 into detail, f of a Ib. of bread and 5 oz. of meat 

 are equal to 3 Ibs. of potatoes. 1 Ib. of pota- 

 toes is equal to 4 Ibs. of cabbage and 3 Ibs. of 

 turnips ; but 1 Ib. of rice, broad beans, or French 

 beans (in grain), is equal to 3 Ibs. of potatoes. 



In the esculent roots, such as carrots, &c., 

 but especially turnips, sugar is the leading nu- 

 tritive matter; and the common fruits contain 

 sugar, gum, albuminous matter, and acids, to- 

 gether with a highly attenuated form of woody 

 fibre or lignin, which in that state is probably 

 digestible. The comparative nutritive proper- 

 ties of the most common fruits will be seen by 

 a reference to the annexed table. 



HI. Table showing the average Quantity of Nutri- 

 tive Matter in 1000 Parts of several varieties of 

 Vegetable Food. 



Morels - 

 Almonds 

 Tamarinds - 340 

 Plums - - 290 

 Grapes - - 270 

 Apricots 

 Cherries 



- 650 



- 260 



- 250 



Peaches - 

 Gooseberries - 

 Apples - 

 Pears 

 Strawberries 



Melon 



200 

 190 

 170 

 160 

 100 



- 30 



On fattening Animals. There is a very great 

 difference in the quantity of food which ani- 

 mals require, and in the time which they can 

 pass without it. In general, those animals 

 which are the most, active require most, and 

 those which are most indolent require least 

 food. The cause of this is pretty obvious ; the 

 bodies of animals do not remain stationary, 

 they are constantly wasting, and the waste is 

 500 



proportioned to the activity of the animal ; 

 hence the body must receive, from time to time, 

 new supplies in place of what has been carried 

 off. The use of food answers this purpose. 

 Almost all the inferior animals have particular 

 substances on which they feed exclusively. 

 Some are herbivorous, some are granivorous, 

 and others, again, are carnivorous. 



From various experiments we have the fol- 

 lowing result: 



A horse will consume as much food, besides 

 corn, as -------8 sheep. 



A cow -_.--__- 12 



A fattening ox ------ 10 



A three year old heifer ----- 8 



A two year old heifer ----- 6 



A one year old heifer ----- 4 



A calf 2 



There are some rules which may be advan- 

 ageously adopted in feeding animals, which, 

 however obvious they may be, are too often 

 neglected. 1. Food should be so prepared that 

 its nutritive properties may be all made avail- 

 able to the use of the animal ; and not only so, 

 but appropriated with the least possible expendi- 

 ture of muscular energy. The ox that is obliged 

 to wander over an acre to get the food he 

 should find in two or three square rods the 

 horse that is two or three hours eating the 

 oarse food he should swallow in fifteen mi- 

 nutes if the grain were ground or the hay cut 

 as it should be the sheep- that spends hours 

 in making its way into a turnip, when, if it 

 were sliced, it would eat it in as many mi- 

 nutes the pig that eats raw potatoes or whole 

 corn, when either cooked could be eaten in one 

 quarter of the time, may indeed fatten, but 

 much less rapidly than if their food were given 

 them in a proper manner. All food should be 

 given in such a state to fattening animals, that 

 as little time as possible, on the part of the ani- 

 mal, shall be required in eating. 



2. From the time the fattening process com- 

 mences, until the animal is slaughtered, he 

 should never be without food. Health and ap- 

 petite are best promoted by change of diet 

 rather than by limiting the quantity. The ani- 

 mal that is stuffed and starved by turns may have 

 streaked meat, but it will be made too slowly 

 for the pleasure or the profit of the good farmer. 



3. The food should be given regularly. This 

 is one of the most essential points in feeding 

 animals. If given irregularly, the animal will 

 consume his food, but he soon acquires a rest- 

 less disposition, is disturbed at every appear- 

 ance of his feeder, and is never in that quiet 

 state so necessary to take on fat. It is surpris- 

 ing how readily any animal acquires habits of 

 regularity in feeding, and how soon the influ- 

 ence of this is felt in the improvement of his 

 condition. When at the regular hour the pig 

 has had his pudding, or the sheep his turnips, 

 they compose themselves to rest, their digestion 

 is not unseasonably disturbed, or their quiet 

 broken by unwonted invitation to eat. 



4. The animal should not be needlessly in- 

 truded upon during the hours of eating. All 

 animals fatten much faster in the dark than in 



i the light, a fact onjy to be accounted for by 

 i their greater quiet. Some of those creatures 

 that are the most irritable and impatient of re- 

 straint while feeding, such as turkeys and 



