Comparative Fattening Qualities of Sheep, J 87 



Table v., which gives the consumption per 100 lbs. live weigld, 

 shows that there is no decided either progressive increase or 

 diminution of consumption to a given weight of animal^ which can 

 be clearly referred to the state of progress of the animal. On 

 the other hand, the fluctuations in this respect would seem to be 

 more probably connected with the state of the weather and of the 

 animals in relation to it. Consistently with this idea, and also 

 with the result of the experiments with the Hampshire and Sus- 

 sex sheep, we have the consumption in relation to a given live- 

 weight most increased at the time when the animals lost the 

 protection of their w^ool. 



Table in. shows that as the experiment proceeded a larger 

 amount of food was required to yield a given amount of increase 

 in live weight. This was also the case with the Hampshire and 

 Sussex sheep. Our experiments on the composition of animals 

 in various stages of fatness lead us to believe, how^ever, that this 

 seeming diminished effect of the food as the animal progresses to 

 maturity is perhaps more apparent than real ; for as the animal 

 ripens, the increase is found to be much less aqueous than during 

 the earlier periods of growth. Hence it may be that there is as 

 great, if not even greater, deposition of real solid substance from 

 a given amount of food as maturity is approached, though the 

 proportion of the gross live weight may be less. 



It is not improbable, however, that some portion both of the 

 actual increased consumption and of the lessened relation of 

 increase to it, as the experiment proceeded, might be due to some 

 depreciation in the nutritive quality of the turnips as the season 

 advanced. 



From Table VI. we learn that the average increase in live 

 weight, per head,, of the 46 Cotswolds, during the 20 weeks of 

 the experiment, was 3 lbs. 2J ozs. That of the Hampshires 

 during the entire period of the experiment v/as, however, only 

 2 lbs. 12 ozs., and that of the Sussex sheep only 2 lbs. If ozs. 



Again, in Table VII. we see that the average weekly increase 

 per ] 00 lbs. live weight was with these Cotswolds 2 lbs. 2 oz. ; 

 that of the Hampshire was 1 lb. 14 ozs. ; and that of the Sussex 

 sheep, 1 lb. lOf ozs. 



The following is a short tabulated summary, bringing to view 

 the comparative results of the three breeds, in regard to some of 

 the points given for the Cotswolds, more in detail in the pre- 

 ceding Table. 



