542 MB. J. B, LAWBS AOT DE. J. H. GILBEET ON THE COMPOSITION OP 
stored up in increase, is relatively very small-namely, 
Gasses however, in which there was ahmited propoi-tion of dry food, and the lem^a 
“;d oT snoenlent roots, much more nearly represent the usual condrtrons of the food 
of fattening Sheep. Upon the whole, it maybe concluded, as an average ” 
Sheen fattening for the butcher on good mixed diet of dry and succulent food, that they 
will certainly not carry off more, and perhaps frequently less, than 3 P®>- ^nt. o ^ 
sumed mineral matter. Were it not indeed that Sheep are now generally fattene 
stiryoung and growing, the proportion of the mineral matter consumed which wodd 
be rLinrf duruig the so-called fattening period, would probably be extremely sm. . 
In fact it can hardly be greater, on the average, than above supposed, taking e w o e 
Srtd of rsteLelf the animal. But it is obvious, that the proportion wdl depend 
Lch more on the character of the food, as to the quantitative relation of frs n^en 
matter to its available organic substance, than '^P°“ f 
rate, the proportion of the mineral matter consumed by either store “ 
which is sent oft the farm in their bodies, is comparatively smaU; and from the p 
centage indicated in the live^dgM of the animals in the different conditions as given m 
™?VII., the annual exhaustion of the farm from the sale of known weights of animals 
""xillo^'tfe^imated proportion of the total nitrogeno,. co.j,o,^s 
retained in the increase of the fattening Sheep, to have been on a^mge, - A»n 
5 per cent, of that consumed in the food. Assuming a liberal ninxed diet of succident 
roots and dry food, it is probable that when the latter conskts chiefly of 
or other highly nitrogenous matter, the proportion of the nitiogen consum 
Te cmried offl the increase of animal, will be less than 6. and perhaps -en less thm. 
4 per cent On the other hand, when the dry food consists to any great extent of ceical 
grain or other food containing a comparatively low percentage of nitrogen, fr is probable 
that more than 5 per cent, of the total nitrogen consumed will be earned off iii in 
It will be observed, that on either supposition, the proportion ot nitrogen expne . 
periled, or voided, will be considerably more than 90 per cent., whilst it may be more 
than 95 per cent., of the total nitrogen consumed by the fattening Sheep. ^ 
It appears that for 100 parts of ? 2 ow-nitrogenous substance consumed m oo , 
were on the average (excluding Class IV.) about 10 stored up m the fatteiimg sheep, n. 
mhstanoe of the food, about 8 or 9 of dry substance woidd appear 
to be stored up in the increase of the animal. It will be remembered, that in th d 
substance of the food of the Sheep, there is, compared with that of the Pig, a , • 
Iger amount of indigestible woody fibre. There is, therefore, a larger propo.tioii ot 
the consumed food necessarily at once effete. i 1 1 r.uiTr iwire 
Table XIII., which relates to the Pigs, would show that there is pro a y 
as much dry substance stored up for 100 consumed, as in the case o{ Sheep. . e 
of M the estimates shows 17-3 per cent, of the consumed dry substance stored up in 
