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TABLE No. 1.-CONTINUED.

DATE OF WEIGHING.EN No. 1. PEN No. 2. PEN No. 3 PEN No. 4.

EN No. 5. PEN No. 6.

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TABLE No. 1.-CONTINUED.

DATE OF WEIGHING. PEN No. 1. PEN NO. 2. PEN No. 3. PEN No. 4. PEN No. 5. PEN No. 6.

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Considerable variation in the rate of increase will be observed in all the pens, while losses in weight, even in the animals that made the greatest aggregate gain, are frequent. The sheep in pen No. 1, did not do well from the very commencement of the experiment. No. 2 lost 20 lbs. in weight, and was finally removed from the pen before the close of the experiment. Sheep No. 2, in Pen No. 4, lost 12 lbs., although it did not at any time appear to be sick. Sheep No.

1, in Pen No. 5, was not well for several weeks before the close of the experiment, and was finally removed from the pen at the close of the 29th week.

It is exceedingly difficult to conduct any kind of experiment in practical agriculture in a satisfactory manner, from the great variety of circumstances that tend to modify results; but when the subtile principle of life, as exhibited in animated beings is involved in the line of investigation, the difficulties in the way of exact determinations seem almost insuperable.

At the beginning of feeding experiments, before the animals become accustomed to the new conditions in which they are placed, losses almost invariably occur. It was observed in the present experiment, that any unusual disturbance of the other animals in the same building, had a marked effect on the progress of those under experiment. It will be observed that losses occurred in all the pens after the 23d week. The only cause that could be assigned for these losses, was the change in the management of the other sheep in the same building.

About the commencement of the 24th week, the sheep not under experiment were turned out during the day, and returned to the barn at night. The experimental sheep immediately became restless during the day, and a general loss in weight was observed, notwithstanding an increase in the fixed ration of food, so that it was thought best to terminate the experiment sooner than had before been intended. From our experience thus far in experimental feeding, it seems desirable that a separate building be provided for this purpose, and that but a single animal be placed in each pen.

In Table No. 2 is shown the amount of feed consumed in each pen, for each week of the experiment.

WEEK.

TABLE No. 2.

AMOUNT or FEED CONSUMED IN EACH PEN FOR EACH WEEK

OF THE EXPERIMENT.

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6th,.

29.53

4.50 18.69 29.50

4.50

7th,.

89.50

5.25 14.69 38.60

8th,

38.50

18.97 10.00 5.25 18.60 12.25 21.88 71.75 5.25 16.41 88.50 6.25 16.73 12.25 20.75

23.00

56.00

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75.87

10.44

15.75

25.94

105.00 23.82

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