Experiments on the Eccdint/ of Sheep. 
205 
librc to the test, a bett(>r rate of increase would lia\-e been oI)jec- 
tionable, as it mig-lit have indicated that they had too niucli of 
the more easily digested non-nitrogenous compounds in their 
food. On each of the four dietaries there is a general disposi- 
tion to show a loss of weight during the latter half of June ; but 
during tlie previous few weeks, immediattdy succeeding the 
shearing, there had been a more than usual increase in gross 
weight, after Avhich hot weatlier set in somewhat suddenly. 
The final result was, as shown in detail in Table VII., and in 
summary in the 6th and 7th columns of Table IX., that, over a 
period of half a year or more, the sheep upon hay-chaff alon(> 
gave an average increase in live-weight of little more than ^ lb., 
and those upon beans and hay, barley and hay, and beans linseed- 
oil and hay, only about 1 lb. per head per week. Calculated 
upon each 100 lbs. live-weight instead of per head, the increase 
per week was only 6^ ozs. upon ha^'-chaff alone, and only a 
fraction over 12 ozs. upon each of the other descriptions of food, 
notwithstanding that these comprised, besides hay-chaff wf/ Hbifum, 
in Pen 2, 1 lb. of beans, in Pen 3, 1 lb. of barley, and in Pen 4, 
beans and linseed oil equivalent to 1 lb. of barley, per head per 
day. 
It should be remarked with i-egard to the above rates of in- 
crease upon 100 lbs. live-weight per week, that the amount with 
the hay-chaff alone is somewhat less than one-fourth, and that in 
€ach of the other pens, with corn, &c., in addition, is somewhat 
less than one-half of that which should be yielded by sheep fed 
liberally, under cover, and having a fair proportion of succulent 
food. It is reckoned that, over a fattening period of some 
months, sheep so fed should give from 1^ to 1| lbs. of increase 
per 100 lbs. live-weight per week. 
Nor are the results any more satisfactory when considered in 
connexion with the amounts of food consumed by a given weight 
of animal within a given time, or required to produce a given 
amount of increase. 
The third column of the Summary Table (IX.) shows that the 
amount of food consumed per 100 lbs. live-weight per week was 
17 lbs. 13 ozs. of hay alone, 19i lbs. of hay and beans, 18j lbs. of 
hay and barley, and 16 lbs. 6 ozs. of hay, beans, and linseed oil. 
It is worthy of remark that the above amount of hay alone would 
contain almost exactly the quantity of dry substance that is 
reckoned to be consumed, on the average, when sheep are fed on 
a good mixed diet of di-y and succulent food ; that of the hay 
and beans about 1^ lb., and that of the hay and barley about f lb. 
in excess of such amount ; and tliat of the ha}', beans, and linseed 
oil — multiplying the oil 2^ times, and reckoning it as starch — 
would contain very nearly the same amount of dry substance as 
