WINTER MANAGEMENT. 239 



beans, &c., simply for the reason that their chemical prop- 

 erties correspond more nearly with the elements of fat, and 

 the organs of the system therefore readily assimilate them 

 for its formation. The question now presents itself, 



WHAT FOOD WILL PRODUCE THE MOST WOOL ? 



Peas, beans, vetches, &c., are useful for the purpose of 

 enriching the blood, by furnishing it with large supplies of 

 albumen, which is its principal constituent. It will be re- 

 membered that in the analyses of flesh and blood the relative 

 proportions of their constituents are nearly identical ; con- 

 sequently, whatever food contains nitrogen, and the greatest 

 amount of albumen, is best adapted to the development of 

 flesh or muscle, and is therefore the most nutritious. Wheat, 

 rye, barley, and buckwheat, contain large quantities of albu- 

 men, especially the first two ; while oats, it will have been 

 seen, contains 10^ per cent, of its organic elements of albu- 

 men, and peas and leans no less than 29 per cent. What 

 conclusion, then, is to be drawn from this ? In Chapter I. 

 it is seen that the chemical composition of horns, hoofs, 

 hair, wool, and even feathers, is substantially the same ; their 

 organic elements are coagulated albumen and gelatin, and 

 their inorganic, silica, carbonate, and phosphate of lime, 

 and the oxides of iron and manganese. Hence it will read- 

 ily appear that that food given to the sheep which will sup- 

 ply the greatest proportion of albumen, in the same ratio 

 will increase the wool secretions, and consequently be pro- 

 ductive of the most wool, provided, however, they also hold 

 in suitable combination the inorganic substances of wool, with- 

 out which they assimilate mostly for the formation of flesh 

 or fat. This may be exemplified thus — a soil may be 

 highly productive of corn, as well as a few of the cereal 

 grains ; yet for the production of wheat it may lack the 

 proper proportion of the phosphate and carbonate of lime, 

 and consequently the berry will not only be deficient in 

 quantity, but quality. 



The following table exhibits the results of the experiments 

 of the distinguished agriculturist De Raumer, on the efiects 

 produced by an equal quantity of several substances in in- 

 creasing the flesh, tallow, and wool of sheep : 



