Comparative Fattening Qualities of Sheep. 441 



Sussex. The oilcake and the clover are charged at the prices 

 paid for them delivered. 



From these balance tables it appears, that in both cases the 

 prices of the fat sheep (and their wool) covered, within a few 

 shillings, the cost of the lambs and of the purchased food ; — • 

 that is to saj, the increase of animal has exactly paid for the 

 purchased food. And it is remarkable that upon the whole 40 

 sheep in each case, there is a difference of only 7d. in this respect, 

 between the two breeds^ the Sussex having the advantage by this 

 amount. 



In both cases, then, the dry food has been paid for by the in- 

 creased value of the 40 sheep, and in both cases, therefore, we 

 have the manure of this food and of the turnips consumed, to pay 

 for those turnips, and for attendance on the animals. Of course 

 this exact equality between the value of the purchased food and 

 that of the increase, is, to some extent, accidental ; for the result 

 would have been different had the whole 40 sheep been sold at 

 the rate of either of the individual sales, instead of in several lots, 

 as they actually were : indeed the rate of these sales may fairly be 

 taken for illustrating this, as the average weight of animal being 

 nearly the same at each sale, the difference in price was chiefly 

 dependent upon the state of the market. 



Thus, if all had been sold at the first sale, the increase of the 

 Hampshires would not have paid for their dry food by 6/. 2^. \ ld., 

 and that of the Sussex would have fallen short by H. \2>s. ; in 

 favour of the Hampshires, therefore, in this respect, by \ l. \ Qs. Id. 



Again, if the second sale of dead meat had been our rule, the 

 Hampshires would have given 5/. Os. ^\d. more than the cost of 

 their dry food, and the Sussex only 21. 145. 2>^d. ; in favour again 

 of the Hampshires of 2Z. 65. \d. 



And lastly, if all had been sold at the rate of the 16 sold alive, 

 the Hampshires would have been deficient by 85. %\d., and the 

 Sussex would have given a balance of \L2s.\Qd.; so that the 

 rates of this sale would have been in favour of the Sussex sheep 

 by IZ. Qs.^d, 



These illustrations are only given to show how difficult it is to 

 come to an unconditional decision as to money returns in such 

 experiments ; especially when the result is so nearly equal as in 

 the two cases in question. 



But even assuming that the artificial food has been in both 

 cases exactly paid for by the increase of animal, leaving the 

 manure of the dry food and of the turnips to pay for the attend- 

 ance and for the turnips, this would not, of itself, be sufficient to 

 prove equality of profit to the farmer, unless the quantity of 

 turnips to be thus paid for were exactly the same, in both cases, in 

 proportion to the dry foods consumed. It may be w^ell, there- 



