96 The Feeding of Animals 



greater than in the fat ox, and this is an illustration 

 of a general truth, that mature animals are less watery 

 than young ones. The amount of water present in the 

 animal body is also influenced to a marked extent by 

 the degree of fatness. The half -fat ox contained over 

 8 per cent more water than the fat, the store sheep 22 

 per cent more than the extra fat, and the store pig 14 

 per cent more than the fat. The explanation of this, 

 as before stated, is not that fat replaces water already 

 in the tissues of the lean animal, but that the increase 

 is much more largely dry matter than was the original 

 body substance. It is obviously true, also, that in fat- 

 tening an ox or sheep, thus increasing the relative 

 amount of fat, the proportions in the dry substance of 

 ash and protein are decreased. The above statements 

 are explained by the results obtained by Lawes and 

 Gilbert in determining the composition of the increase 

 while animals are fattening: 



Water Ash Protein Fat 

 * % f * 



Lean ox 66.2 5.9 19.2 8.7 



Lean sheep 67.5 4. 18.3 10.2 



Well-fed swine . . 57 9 2.9 15. 24.2 



Average of lean animals ... 63.9 4.3 17.5 14.3 

 Av. of increase while fattening 23.8 1.1 7.3 67.8 



This comparison of the composition of lean animals 

 and of the increase when they are fattened is a sufficient 

 explanation of the less watery and fatter condition of 

 the animal when ready for the market. The store 

 animal is nearly two -thirds water and about one -sev- 

 enth fat, while the increase is less than one -quarter 



