76 



Feeds and Feeding. 



fattening, the main object being to otherwise improve the quality 

 of the lean meat. To some extent during growth, and especially 

 during fattening, there is a deposition of fat in the lean-meat tis- 

 sue. A small portion of this may be deposited within the muscular 

 fibers themselves, but the larger part is stored between the bundles 

 of fibers, constituting the so-called "marbling" of meat. This 

 deposition of fat adds to the tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and diges- 

 tibility of the meat, besides increasing its nutritive value. It seems 

 possible that there is also an increase in the soluble or circulating 

 protein and in other extractives of the muscles, resulting in a 

 further betterment of the quality of the meat as a secondary advan- 

 tage from fattening. 



99. Increase during fattening. — The changes in the composition 

 of the bodies of farm animals during fattening were extensively 

 studied by Lawes and Gilbert of the Rothamsted Station^ from anal- 

 yses of the entire bodies of oxen, sheep, and pigs slaughtered at dif- 

 ferent stages of fattening. They give data from which the follow- 

 ing table is derived : 



In most cases the animals studied had not entirely finished their 

 growth when the tests began. The table shows that in 100 lbs. of 

 live-weight gain made by the fattening ox, 7.7 lbs. was lean-meat 

 tissue, 66.2 fat, and 1.5 mineral matter. In each 100 lbs. of gain 75.4 

 lbs. was dry substance and 24.6 water. The sheep resembles the ox 

 in character of increase during fattening, but stores more mineral 

 matter, due to the growth of wool. The fattening pig stores very 

 little mineral matter. 



Ilenneberg and Kern- selected 3 mature wethers for a study of 

 the body changes which occur during fattening. One was slaugh- 

 tered at the beginning of the trial while in lean condition ; another 

 after 70 days of fattening when half fat; and the third at the end 

 of 203 days Avhen extra fat, witli results as follow: 



"■ Phil. Trans., Part 11, 1859 ; Jour. Boy. Agr. Soc, 1860. 

 "" Jour. Land., 26, 1878, p. 549. 



