598 
THE FOOD WE GIVE. 
identical. We believe^ notwithstanding, that Liebig^s hypo¬ 
thesis, looked at in the most liberal light, is theoretically 
correct, but that it fails in ordinary practice, simply because 
circumstances modify the deductions from chemical analyses. 
In all experiments, in fact, upon the feeding of animals, as 
Mr. Thomson well adds, it should not be forgotten that 
they are peculiarly liable to inaccuracies from the ease with 
which animal functions are disordered, and the difficulty 
of discovering minor complaints. All animals will at times 
eat more or less heartily than usual. A milch cow will sud¬ 
denly give a pound or two less milk than usual for a day or 
two, without any apparent cause; and a fattening beast will 
sometimes actually lose weight, or at least will gain nothing, 
when feeding as well as usual, and apparently in full health. 
It is exceedingly difficult, too, if not impossible, to get a 
sufficient number of animals whose constitutions are exactly 
alike, so that all such experiments, before we are warranted 
in arriving at any definite conclusions, must be many times 
repeated. 
To determine the comparative feeding qualities of man¬ 
golds and swedes, the following valuable experiments were 
instituted:—On January l6, 1864, Mr. Thomson put up 
in pairs four milch cows, four feeding beasts, four queys 
(heifers) rising two years old, and four stirks rising one year 
old, and all of the Ayrshire breed; these were fed alike till 
Feb. 3rd, particular notice being taken of the quantity of 
food which each lot of two could consume per day. The 
quantities at last fixed upon for each lot, and the hours at 
which they were given during the whole time the experiment 
lasted, were as follows : 
Milch Cows and Feeding Beasts. 
5 a.ra.—37^ lbs. of roots, 2 lbs. hay chaff steamed, and 2|- lbs. of bean- 
meal added. 
5.30 a.m.—4 lbs. of hay. 
6 a.m.—Cows milked ; milk weighed. 
9.30 a.m.—4 lbs. of hay, water ad lib. 
11 a.m.—Steamed mess as at 5 a.m. 
11.30 a.m.—4 lbs. of hay. 
5 p.m.—Steamed mess as at 5 a.m. 
5.30 p.m.—4lbs. of hay. 
6 p.m.—Cows milked ; milk weighed. 
7 p.m.—281bs. of roots raw. 
8 p.m.—4lbs. of hay, water ad lib. 
Daily quantity for each animal:—561bs. of roots steamed, and 141bs 
roots raw=701bs. roots ; 31bs. hay chaff steamed and lOlbs. of hay=131bs 
of hay; 6oz. of salt, 41bs. bean meal. 
