362 On increasing our Supplies of Animal Food. 



Or on the whole live weight, all of which of course in each case 

 was made out of the food consumed, the per centage of offal and 

 of the different qualities of meat is as follows : — 



Shorthorn. 

 St, lbs. 



1st quality . . 17 6 

 2nd „ . . 20 4 . 



3rd „ . . 25 4 . 



Total meat . 63 

 Offal . . 37 



100 100 



So that in the former case 37 only, while in the latter 44 per 

 cent, of the food consumed has, so to speak, gone to waste. 



But no merely proportionate account of this matter can present 

 the whole truth. A quantitative statement is required. In the 

 one case we have 70 stones of beef and in the other 40. What 

 if as much food has been consumed in the manufacture of the 

 latter as of the former? It is not in the mere relation between 

 the live and carcase weight of cattle of the different breeds that 

 their relative merits lie when the national supply of meat is under 

 consideration. It is not so much the circumstance that this 

 animal lays little meat on the coarsest joints and carries flesh most 

 on the best parts, though that is of importance, but it is because 

 out of this quantity of food it has in so short a time acquired such 

 a weight that its possession is of value to either producer or con- 

 sumer. The great national benefit which our breeders of cattle 

 and sheep have conferred lies in the earlier maturity as well as 

 the better form that they have communicated. An ox did not 

 use to reach maturity till its fourth, nor a sheep till its third year; 

 now, thanks to the skill and perseverance of Collins and Bake- 

 well, and Tomkins and others — we have fat beef of two years, and 

 fat mutton of fourteen months of age. A farm may have pro- 

 duced a maximum of food for animals during the last century ; 

 but its produce of meat could not have equalled what it now is, 

 because the same herd which it then turned out fattened once in 

 four years is now sent to market once in every two years ; and the 

 same flock which was fed and sold once in three years is now 

 converted into mutton every fourteen months. This, it must be 

 confessed, illustrates the fact that the choice of breed does greatly 

 affect the produce of meat, rather than the question, — Which is 

 the best to choose ? But in the absence of more satisfactory 

 information on this branch of our subject we must pass on to the 

 next. 



3. The third question that is asked is, — What kinds of food are 

 to be given to cattle, and in what condition are they to be admi- 

 nistered ? 



