t:«J jC 



MANUAL OF CATTLE- FEEDING. 



weight likewise became less rapid. Tlie protein eonsnnip- 

 tion, too, decreased, in consequence of tlie diniinifolied 

 supply of tliis nutrient, and tlie gain of protein, tliough 

 varying somewhat from period to period, ako sliowed a de- 

 cided decrease. The results regarding the percentage of 

 the total digested protein which was retained in the body 

 contrast strongly with those obtained by Soxhlet on suck- 

 ing calves (p. 439), and show that the protein consumption 

 Increases quite rapidly in growing animals, and even at a 

 comparatively early age becomes much greater than the 

 gain of protein by the body, 



. The respiratory products were not determined in these 

 experiments, but from the observed gain of nitrogen, sul- 

 plmr, and mineral matters, it was calculated that the hi- 

 crease in weight in the first nine periods (53.9 Ibs.'^') had 

 approximately the following composition : 



Dry protein (exclusive of wool) , 

 Flesh '' '* . 



Pure wool (water- free) 



Crude wool 



Fat and water 



Fat 



Mineral matters 



'' " less those of crude wool, 



Total gain, 



LbB. 



8 29 



• » • • 

 2 48 



37.03 



6.15 



58 90 



LbB. 



84 54 



5.47 



* if • it 



8.10 



5 79 

 53,90 



* The gain in weight is the diffeience between the live- weight at the 

 beginning of the first and the end of the ninth period, and hence is 

 greater than would appear from the table on page 452, which gives only 

 the average weight for each period. 



