322 Agricultural Chemistry — Sheep- Feeding and Manure. 



series, as well as to the one previously discussed, nothing whatever 

 that is favourable to the malt, as compared with the barley ; and, 

 indeed, taking the results as they stand, the simpler process of 

 steeping seems prominently to exceed in effect the more expensive 

 one of malting. As, however, we have before remarked, gross 

 increase is but a conditional indication of the progress of the 

 animal, as we shall endeavour to illustrate further on. 



As a check upon these trials between barley and malt in the 

 shed, the remainder of the flock, after the selection for the expe- 

 rimental pens had been made, were allotted, sheep by sheep, 

 according to weights, into two nearly equal sets. To one of these 

 were given \ lb. of barley and \ lb. of clover-chaff per sheep per 

 day ; and to the other, malt and dust, the produce of \ lb. of barley 

 and a lb. of clover-chaff ; the two lots being penned side by side in 

 the field, and both allowed as many swedes as they chose to eat. 

 The results are given in the following Table : — 



Table 4. — Showing the Total and Average Weekly Increase per 

 Sheep, of 27 Animals fed with Malt, Clover-Chaff, and Swedes ; 

 and 27 upon Barley, Clover-chaff, and Swedes, both lots in the field, 

 during a period of 9 weeks. 



Number 



of 

 Sheep. 



Description and Quantities of Food 

 per Sheep per Week. 



Total 

 Weight 

 in lbs. 

 March 12. 



Total 

 Weight 

 in lbs. 

 May 14. 



Total 

 Gain in 

 9 Weeks. 



Average 

 Weekly 

 Gain 

 per Sheep. 



27 



f 3* lbs. Clover-chaff; 3* lbs. Barley ; and") 



3602 



4070 



468 



1-141 



27 



j-3j lbs. Clover-chaff, Malt and Dust,) 

 •J produced from 3^ lbs. of Barley ; and > 



3598 



4035* 



437* 



l'12i 



In this experiment it cannot be considered that the food was 

 either ill adapted to the habits or tastes of the animals, or to the 

 season of the year at which the trial was made ; and here again, 

 as in the previous trials, which might by some, perhaps, be con- 

 sidered to be open to more or less objection, we have a result 

 still in favour of the barley. The difference, it is true, is not 

 great ; yet, if it be not sufficient to show a decided superiority in 

 the barley as compared with the malt, it nevertheless clearly 

 indicates that there was no advantage in the use of the latter, the 

 more expensive substitute ; and since the result, as here given, 

 does not stand alone, but is consistent with those of the two pre- 

 ceding trials, we must confess that at least, so far as the produc- 

 tion of gross increase or live weight of sheep * is concerned, we" 

 can see nothing in the experiments which should favour the opinion 



* The question as to the utility of inalt as food for oxen is of course only settled by 

 inference from these experiments with sheep / but even were it shown that the effects were 

 greater with the former than with the latter, the cost of the malting process and the 

 depreciation of the manure would have to be considered before deciding upon its use. 



