75 



PERCENTAGES OF THE SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS. 



Table 18 contains the percentages of the different constituents of the 

 entire dressed animal, excluding the head, leaf lard, and kidneys. The 

 data are most interesting from a practical point of view. It is seen 

 that of the entire animals 36.43 per cent was composed of water, 49.67 

 per cent of fat, 10.46 per cent of nitrogenous matter, and 2.11 per cent 

 of ash. It may excite remark that the percentage of ash in the animal 

 is so small when it is remembered that the whole of the mineral matter 

 of the bones is included with the ash, but by referring to the table of 

 the analyses of the bones it is seen that only about 25 per cent of their 

 total weight is mineral matter, the rest being composed of water and 

 organic substances. The water and the organic substances are included 

 in the other data, and the ash therefore expresses only the mineral 

 matters of the animal, including not only the bones, but also the min- 

 eral matters of the .other tissues. In regard to the nitrogenous sub- 

 stances, their proportionate division into three classes is of interest. 

 It is seen that of the whole amount 8.12 per cent belong to the proteids 

 insoluble in hot water, and 1.10 per cent to the proteids of a gelatiuoid 

 nature, while 1.14 per cent belongs to the nitrogenous bodies represent- 

 ing the flesh bases. From a nutritive point of view, the true proteids 

 arc the most valuable. The gelatinoids are highly nutritious, but on 

 account of their smaller quantity do not have so high an economic 

 importance from a nutritive point of view r as the other proteids. The 

 flesh bases have a lower nutritive value, but are prized in mai^ cases on 

 account of their ready absorption and their stimulating properties, 

 being already in a state suitable for partial assimilation. The summa- 

 tion of the analyses as a whole is extremely satisfactory, only a little 

 over 1 per cent of the total weight of the animal being unaccounted 

 for in the actual data obtained. 



Comparison of breeds. In regard to the details of the various con- 

 stituents, it is seen that the Berkshire leads all the others in the per- 

 centage of water, namely, 43.10. The smallest percentage of water is 

 in the Duroc Jersey, No. 6, namely, 30.31. The largest percentage of 

 fat is found in Duroc Jersey, No. 7, namely, 57.68, and the smallest in 

 the Berkshire, namely, 40,46. Of the total nitrogenous substances, the 

 largest quantity is found in the Berkshire, namely, 13.02, and the 

 smallest in the Duroc Jersey, No. 7, namely, 8.96. It is evident from an 

 inspection of the table that the meat of the Berkshire is better for the 

 production of muscular strength, while that of the Duroc Jersey, No. 7 is 

 best suited for the production of animal heat. The Berkshire meat would 

 be best suited for the use of our army in Cuba, while the meat of the 

 Duroc Jersey, No. 7 would be best suited for the miners of the Klondike. 

 These remarks are made without any expression of opinion concerning 

 the type as a whole, but only on the data obtained from the two animals. 

 The examination of a large number of typical animals of each of the 

 breeds would be necessary to establish a definite rule of that kind. It 



