MANUAL OF CATTLE- FEEDING. 141 



SO thatj while a large quantity of protein wonld be daily 

 consumed in the body with the large ration of albumin- 

 oids, the gain of flesh would be no greater, and might be 

 even less, than with the smaller ration. 



Fat may cause a long-continued G-ain of Flesh. — 

 We have seen that any gain of flesh caused by an increase 

 of the albuminoids of the food continues but a short time. 

 The additional albuminoids increase chiefly the amount of 

 circulatory protein in the body and consequently the pro- 

 tein consumption, and equilibrium between the food and 

 the body is speedily established. 



If, however, the gain of flesh is caused by the addition 

 of fat to the food, the case is different. 



The fat seems to favor the formation of tissue, i ^., of 

 the more stable organised protein, which is less easily oxi- 

 dized, and consequently, as is found by experiment, the 

 gain of flesh caused in this way may continue for a com- 

 paratively long time, so that although the saving of protein 

 effected by the fat may not be great in a single day, the 

 total result is very considerable. It has been already 

 shown (p. 133) that the fat deposited in the body has the 

 same effect in this respect as that of the food. 



The Gain of Flesh continues much longer on a me- 

 dium than on a large Ration of Albuminoids. — ^The 

 following experiments (see page 142) illustrate this. 



The total gain up to the beginning of nitrogen equili- 

 brium is seen to be in general no greater, and often less, 

 with a large than with a medium ration of albuminoids. 

 In details exceptions are to be expected, since the experi- 

 ments were not all made consecutively, and since not only 

 the supply of food but the bodily condition has much to 

 do with the gain of flesh. 



In order, then, to obtain as great and long-continued a 



