422 FATTY ELEMENTS OF FOOD, AND ON FATTENING. 



If we now discuss particularly one or more of the rations or 

 allowances to oxen put up to fatten, or to milch-cows, we shall find 

 that they uniformly contain a larger quantity of fatty matters than 

 the secretions, excretions, and fat which have heen produced under 

 their influence. Thus a cow, in good condition, that produces 72 

 pints of milk, containing 3.3 lbs. of butter, while she eats 220 lbs. 

 of meadow-hay, will have consumed more than 6.6 lbs. of matter 

 soluble in ether — fatty substances. The quantity of fat contained 

 in the food, over and above that which is discovered in the milk, has 

 passed with the excrements, which are never entirely free from sub- 

 stances analogous to fatty matters. 



With a view to comparing as accurately as is possible in inquiries 

 of this kind, the quantity of fatty matter contained in the forage 

 consumed by a cow, with that found in the milk and in the excre- 

 ments, the following experiment was made. A cow, Esmeralda, 

 No. 6 in the stable at Bechelbronn, calved on the 26th of September, 

 and she was put to the bull again on the 4th of November. Up to 

 the 22d of January (inclusive) Esmeralda received the usual allow 

 ance, viz : 



After-math hay 11 lbs. 



Oil-cake 22 " 



Turnips 66 " 



Wheatchaff. 22 " 



and the milk she gave in the course of the month of January, 

 amounted on the — 



Pints. Pints. 



Istto 12.9 12th 12.3 



2d 12.3 13th 11.4 



3d 12.3 14th 11.4 



4th 11.4 15th.: 12.3 



5th 10.5 16th 10.5 



6th 12.3 17th 11.4 



7th 12.3 18th 10.5 



8th 12.9 19th 11.4 



9th 12.3 20th 11,4 



10th 10.5 21st 11.4 



11th 11.4 22d 11.4 



The average quantity of milk, therefore, per day, in the course 

 of the week that preceded the experiment, was 10.287 pints. 

 From the 23d of January, when the ration was altered to — 



Hay 16.5 lbs. 



Chopped wheat straw 9.9 " 



Beet-root 59.4 " 



the quantity of milk yielded was : 



January. Pints. January. Pints. 



23d 11.4 27th 11.6 



24th 10.5 28th 11.4 



25th 10.5 29th IIA 



36th 10.5 30th 11.4 



on an average 11.8 pints per diem ; a little more than with the form- 

 er allowance. 



The excrement passed by this cow was analyzed during four days, 

 from the 24th to the 27th of January ; the whole quantity being 

 weighed moist every day, and well mixed, a mean sample of about 

 oz. in weight was taken for analysis. This being stove-dried, the 



