198 ' Experiments on the Feeding of Sheej>. 
dition as in the instances liere under consideration. Still, the 
results t)f these experiments afford a striking illustration of the 
heavy loss that may arise when animals are, from any cause, 
allowed to lose weight, especially after they have been once 
brought into a condition fit for the butcher. It is obvious, too, 
that they may lose under the most liberal system of feeding, if 
their comfort in other respects be not duly provided for. It is 
true that the sheep kept out of doors all the year round, did not 
suffer during the summer months so much as those which had 
been under cover during the previous winter, and were already 
riper when turned out. In fact, though the more hardily treated 
sheep increased very much less during the winter months, 
over the whole year they increased nearly as much as those 
which had been housed during nearly the first half of the time, 
and had then increased so rapidly. But doubtless the nearly 
equal total increase of the entirely field-fed sheep was, as already 
observed, obtained at the expense of a much larger proportional 
consumption of food during the exposure of the early part of 
their feeding. 
This comparison of the results of experiments on the excessive 
fattening of sheep — whether lor the most part housed, or fed in 
the field throughout — with those obtained when they are only 
moderately fattened, cleai'ly points to the great economy of food 
attained by adopting a system of ea7'h/ and rapid fattening. 
In the second main division of Table III., which shows the 
average increase per week, both per head, and per 100 lbs. 
live-weight, irrespectively of the amounts of food consumed, we 
have again strikingly brought to view the great difference in 
the rate of pn^gress of the animals during the two periods of 
feeding. Notwithstanding the much greater weights of the 
sheep during the second period, not one of the lots gave so much 
increase per head per week then, as during the earlier period ; 
and calculated in relation to 100 lbs. live-weight, instead of 
per head, it was, in every case, only about half as much in the 
later stage of feeding. 
Table III. shows, however, that these extra-fattened sheep 
gave the greater proportion of carcass to live weight ; and, that 
the condition of their carcasses was such as is more valued at 
the Christmas markets than that of the more moderately-fed 
animals, is freely granted. But the practical question arises — 
Is the extra price obtained equivalent to what will frequently 
be the extra cost of production ? We think certainly not. 
The following table shows the average weights of the carcasses 
of the different lots, both in the moderately fat, and in the very 
fat condition, reckoned both in stones of 8 lbs., and in lbs. per 
quarter: — 
