Nutrition Studies. 



79 



ox or sheep, but its food is much more concentrated and digestible. 

 Therefore a smaller proportion is consumed in the work of diges- 

 tion and assimilation, leaving a larger surplus for producing gain. 

 102. Returns from feed. — The following by Jordan^ shows the 

 amount of food suitable for man returned by the different classes of 

 farm animals for each 100 lbs. of digestible matter consumed. 



Human food produced hy farm animals from 100 lbs. of digestible matter 

 consumed. 



The table, which presents one side of a most complicated problem, 

 shows that for 100 lbs. of digestible nutrients consumed : 



The cow yields about 139 lbs. of milk, containing 18 lbs. of solids, 

 practically all digestible. 



The pig produces about 25 lbs. of dressed carcass. Allowing for 

 water, bone, and gristle, there remains over 15 lbs. of edible dry 

 meat. 



The steer and sheep yield less than 10 lbs. of dressed carcass, 

 nearly half of which is water. Deducting this and the bone and 

 gristle, there remains only from 2.6 to 3.2 lbs. of water-free edible 

 meat. 



The cow easily leads all farm animals in her power to convert the 

 crops of the field into human food, with the pig second, poultry fol- 

 lowing, and the steer and sheep coming lowest. 



^ The Feeding of Animals. 



