Comparative Fattening Qualities of Sheep. 



425 



the greater increase ; or, what is the same thing;, in which case a 

 given quantity of increase is obtained at the cost of the least 

 consumption of food. This important point is brought clearly to 

 view in Table IV., but before passing to the consideration oi h, it 

 will be well to make one or two remarks on some pomts which 

 are sufficiently obvious in Table III. 



It has before been said that the dry foods were allotted to the 

 two breeds in fixed quantities, exactly in proportion to the weight of 

 anim.als in each respectively, and hence the uniformity in the 

 quantities of oil-cake and clover consumed during most of the 

 monthly periods. It will be seen, however^, that during the 

 period commencing with March 27th, when the animals were 

 shorn, the quantity of oil-cake is increased to both lots by one 

 half the previous alhnvance. This it was thought well to do as 

 the animals progressed ; but by the mistake of the attendant the 

 ration of clover also was increased to the Sussex sheep at the 

 same time by being made equal to that of the Hampshires; and 

 it is remarkable, as shown in the last two columns of the Table, 

 that in this period of an excess of clover in favour of the Sussex 

 sheep, they gave a higher increase than the Hampshires, though 

 they did so at no other period of the experiment. It should at 

 the same time be noticed that, in the period immediately preced- 

 ing this, the one of more than usual increase in the Sussex sheep, 

 they had gained much less than their average amount, so that 

 much of the subsequent higher rate of gain may in reality be 

 considered as only compensatory, rather than as due entirely to 

 the increased allowance of clover. Indeed, the results of these 

 two consecutive periods afford a striking instance of the fluctua- 

 tions in the apparent progress of animals, as indicated by their 

 weight taken at short intervals of time. 



A glance at the columns giving the swedes consumed will 

 show that there was with both breeds a gradual increase in the 

 quantity eaten as the experiment proceeded ; and it is remarkable 

 too, that this increase in the amount of swedes is in both cases 

 much greater in the period commencing March 27th, when the 

 animals lost their wool, than at any other time during the course 

 of the experiment, notwithstanding that it was at this period that 

 the allowance of dry food was also considerably increased. The 

 increased consumption during the other periods is probably in 

 some part due to a depreciation in the quality of the turnips as 

 the season advanced, and not to be attributed entirely therefore to 

 the increased requirements of the animals. They would, it is 

 true, probably require more per head as they increased in size 

 and weight, but not proportionally to their increase of weight, for 

 we shall presently see, on reference to Table VI.. that, excepting 

 immediately after the animals lost their wool, the quantity con- 



