160 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



being topped and rooted, ffiven to them whole in troughs, in 

 which state they ate them easily and readily enough, only the 

 Cheviots proved too nice to eat the crowns, as well as some 

 of the inferior portions of the bulbs, and therefore it was 

 thought advisable at once to resort to Gardiner's cutter. Cut 

 swedes, then, of the very best quality, stored iu good condi- 

 tion during favourable weather, formed their chief food from 

 13th November, when the trial commenced, till the 16th 

 March, when it terminated, exclusive of a daily allowance of 

 oats during the last five weeks. Great quantities of thestraw, 

 put in hurdles to afford them shelter, was used by them, 

 which was again and again replaced, but no account kept of 

 the amount that was consumed by each lot, it being thought 

 an item of trifling consequence— all seemingly eating and 

 relishing it equally well. Without a single exception, they 

 were all also remarkably fond of the oats. 



Tor the first eight weeks or so, the Leiceafcers, Cheviots, and 

 half-breds fed as regularly as could be desired. The twice- 

 crossed, too, although feeding regularly enough, seemed more 

 easily satisfied at first, their appetite, however, gradually in- 

 creasing towards the close of the experiment. For the last 

 nine weeks the appetite of the Leicesters for turnips steadily 

 declined, till, near the end, they scarcely used the one-half 

 consumed by either of the other lots, though always very 

 ready for their oats, and fond of eating straw. To the very 

 last the Cheviots and half-breds preserved their appetite un- 

 impaired. All were weighed correctly a second time on the 

 10th of January, 1859, and again, for the third and last time, 

 on the 16th March, when the experiment terminated. The 

 Cheviots and half-breds being sold, two or three days after- 

 wards, to a butcher, at so much per pound dead weight of 

 mutton, the writer saw them killed, dressed, and weighed him- 

 self, noting particularly ths individual weight of each sheep, to 

 see how it tallied with the live weight, according to a given rule 

 amongst sheep and cattle dealers— viz., for every 14 stones of 

 live weight of well-fed mutton, sis must be deducted as offal. 

 He at the same time saw, also for himself, the tallow cf the 

 two lots correctly weighed, an account of which is also given 

 in the statement of result. 



Each sheep at first having received its own distinguishing 

 mark, the writer is thus enabled to show the exact weight 

 gained by each during the time of the experiment. 



At first sight, perhaps, the statement of result may appear 

 incomplete, showing, as it only does, the comparative amount 

 of weight gained by each lot during the time of the experi- 

 ment, without its being calculated at so much per lb., and the 

 comparative amount of profit or loss in money shown. Such, 

 however, has been no overlook or neglect on the part of the 

 writer. He has omitted doing so because he feels the difficulty 

 exists as to what such gain in weight should really be calcu- 

 lated at. Doubtless the weight gained by sheep or cattle dur- 

 ing the period of their feeding and fattening is not all in mut- 

 ton or beef, but partly in offal ; and regarding it only in this 

 light, the writer at one time was of the opinion that a deduc- 

 tion ought to be made for such. Such opinion, however, has 

 since been shaken by the consideration of the fact, that although 

 the gain in weight during a peiiod of feeding by a lean or half- 

 fat animal must be regarded as what it in reality is, partly 

 offal, the carcass, as a wliote, becomes so much enhanced in 

 quality during the same period, and by the same food, as not 

 only to justify the whole amount of weight gained being cal- 

 culated at full money-rates of market value without any de- 

 duction for offal, but even in some cases a little addition to 

 such — such as when the stock fed and fattened are at the 

 commencement particularly thin. Weighing the matter thus, 

 and thinking that difference of opinion as to such might also 



exist amongst others, he thinks better, as to this eii^periment, 

 to leave practical men to calculate the amount of weight gained 

 at what they think proper according to their own opinions, 

 especially as a very definite conclusion may be arrived at, 

 judging from the comparative gain of weight alone ; the quan- 

 tity of oats consumed by each lot being exactly the same, 

 while not a great deal of difference is shown in the quantity of 

 the turnips. 



Allowing the result of the experiment on each sheep singly 

 to speak for itself, and commenting on each lot of five as a 

 whole, the writer would direct attention to No. 1, Leicesters, 

 during the first 57 days' feeding, having consumed 70S square 

 yards of turnips, and gained in weight 3 stones 9 lb. ; to lot 

 No. 2, twice-crossed, 606 square yards, and gained, after de- 

 ducting 5^ lb. loss, 1 stone 9 lb. ; to lot No. 3, Cheviots, 636 

 square yards, against an increase of 2 stones ^- lb., deducting 

 2 lb. cf loss ; and to lot No. 4, half-breds, 744 square yards, 

 and gained 3 stones 12 lb. additional weight. 



Although, as now shown, the turnips used by lots 2 and 3 

 were a little less in quantity during the 57 days' feeding than 

 what were used by lots 1 and 4 — consequently, calculating 

 turnips, say about £7 per acre, a trifle less against them as to 

 expense — the much smaller amount of weight gained in mut- 

 ton will not allow them to stand a comparison with the latter 

 Nos. 1 and 4, Leicesters and half-breds, which may, taking the 

 very near equality in the amount of food consumed and in- 

 crease in weight, be regarded as very near upon a par with 

 each other. 



At the termination of the last 65 days' feeding, lot No. 1, 

 Leicesters, shows a very marked decrease in its consumption 

 of turnips, 512 square yards only having been used ; while the 

 additional weight acquired was even comparatively smaller^ 

 just 6 lb. ; lot No. 2, twice crossed, shows a consumption of 

 689 square yards for the increased weight of 5 stones 2 lb. ; 

 lot No. 3, Cheviot, 664 square yards, for 4 stones 7i lb. ; 

 while lot No, 4, half-bred, in return for 673 square yards of 

 turnips consumed, gives the very superior increase of 6 stones 

 12 lb. more weight; each lot consuming besides, 128 lb, oats. 



For the whole 122 days' feeding the result exhibits, as to lot 

 No. 1, Leicesters, an increase of weight of 4 stones lib., against 

 the consumption of 1,220 square yards of turnips ; lot No. 2, 

 twice crossed, 6 stones 11 lb., against 1,295 square yards ; lot 

 No. 3, Cheviots, 6 st. 8 lbs., against 1,300 square yards; and 

 lot No. 4, half-bred, 10 stones 10 lb., for 1,417 square yards ; 

 No. 4 having thus gained in all nearly 4 stones more weight 

 than either of the others, in return for little above 100 square 

 yards more turnips consumed, which undoubtedly assigns the 

 superiority to the half-breds in this experiment as to the com- 

 parative qualities of fattening and increase of weight. 



It must, however, be borne iu mind, that as the Leicesters, 

 lot No. 1, did not eat so regularly and plentifully as they 

 might have done—for several weeks before the close getting 

 apparently discontented both with food and confinement, some 

 of them, in consequence, even losing considerably in weight— 

 the result of the last 65 days' feeding with them cannot be 

 regarded aa any conclusive comparative criterion to go by 

 whatever, though the trial with them against the other breeds 

 during the first 57 days may be viewed as a very fair one. 

 The twice-crossed, lot No. 2, as gaining 3lb. more weight 

 during the full period of the experiment than lot No. 3, on a 

 smaller quantity of turnips, must be owned as standing second 

 to No. 4. 



But the writer, while commenting impartially on all, thinks 

 proper specially to call attention to the trial with the Cheviots 

 and half-breds as being exceedingly satisfactory, and the one 

 on which greatest reliance may be placed as of real practical 



