and of their Increase vMlst Fattening. 
473 
above supposed, (luring- the wliole existence of the animal ; that 
is, inclutling the previous, as well as the fattening period. The 
proportion of the amount consumed that will be retained in the 
increase, will, however, depend much more upon the relation of 
the mineral matter,, to the digestible and available organic sub- 
stance of the food, than upon any other circumstance. 
At any rate, the proportion of the mineral matter consumed in 
the food by either store or fattened sheep, which is sent off the 
farm in their bodies, is comparatively small. From the per- 
centage in the entire bodies of the animals analysed in the 
different conditions, or from the estimates of the amount in the 
increase of fattening sheep, the annual loss to the farm of mineral 
matter from the sale of known weights of such animals, admits 
of easy calculation. 
Of the nitrogenous compounds consumed by the fattening sheep, 
the average of the estimates shows less than 5 per cent, to be 
retained in their increase. With a liberal mixed diet of suc- 
culent roots and dry food, it is probable, that when the latter 
consists chiefly of pulse, oilcake, or other highly nitrogenous 
matters, the proportion of the consumed nitrogen which will be 
carried off in the increase of the animal, will be less than 5, and 
perhaps even less than 4 per cent. On the other hand, when 
the dry food consists chiefly of cereal grain or other matters con- 
taining a comparatively low per-cent. of nitrogen, it is piobable 
that more than 5 per cent, of the consumed nitrogen will be 
carried off in the increase. On either supposition the propor- 
tion of the total nitrogen consumed by the fattening sheep, that 
will be expired, perspired, or voided, will be considerably more 
than 90 per cent., and it may be more than 95 per cent. 
For 100 parts of ?«on-nitrogenous substance consumed in food 
by the fattening sheep, it is estimated that there were on the 
average (excluding Class IV.), about 10 parts stored up in their 
increase — of course in the form of fat itself. 
For 100 of total dry substance in the food of the sheep, about 
8 or 9 parts of dry increase appear to have been stored up. 
The dry substance of the food of sheep contains a much larger 
proportion of indigestible woody fibre than does that of pigs. 
There is, therefore, a larger proportion of the dry substance of the 
food of sheep necessarily at once effete. 
Turning to the estimates relating to pigs (see Table XVIII.), 
it would appear that there is probably fully twice as much dry 
substance stored up in their increase for 100 consumed in their 
fattening food, as in the case of sheep. The average of all the' 
estimates relating to pigs shows 17-3 parts of dry increase stored 
up for 100 of dry substance of food consumed, against about 
15/parts in the case of the single analysed fat pig. 
