CATTLE. 121 



which seems to have been a remarkably fine animal, attaining the weight of 2,820 Ibs. at 

 four and a half years of age, and gaining .53 Ibs. more per day than either of the others. It is 

 quite probable that the second group were as thrifty and heavy at 569 days old as the first 

 group, or that they weighed on an average 1249 Ibs., gaining 2.19 Ibs. per day; but in the 

 next 279 days we find that they gain only 232 Ibs., or .83 Ibs. per day, which is only a little 

 more than one-third of what they gained during the first period. Although the third group 

 of steers were better for their age than the second, yet if we compare them with the first, we 

 find them 671 days older than the latter, and their gain during this time to be 620 Ibs., or 

 .92 Ibs. per day, which is considerably less than half of the gain of the first period. But this 

 does not show the entire loss of feeding to such an age. If we had the actual weight of food 

 consumed by the steers of the first group in making an average growth of 1,249 Ibs., and 

 also the food eaten by the third group reaching the weight of 1,869 Ibs., we should doubtless 

 find the live weight of the latter to cost in food from forty to fifty per cent, more than the 

 former; showing that steers not only gain less per day as they grow older, but that they 

 consume more food to make this small gain. 



Heavy Weight Of Fat Steers. &quot;We have obtained from different sources the fol- 

 lowing unusual weights of fat steers, which may be of importance as showing what may be 

 accomplished by judicious and skillful feeding. Mr. Geo. Ayrault, of Poughkeepsie, New 

 York, sold a few years since, four steers which were seven-eighths Short-Horn and raised by 

 himself, which weighed respectively, 3,440, 3,406, 3,320, 3,300 pounds each. The age of one 

 of the animals was seven years, and another six. The largest stood nearly six feet high with 

 a girth of ten feet, the proportions of each being good, notwithstanding their enormous size. 

 The aggregate gain in weight during the season was 1,460 Ibs. The net beef weight of the 

 larger pair after slaughter was 4,537 Ibs. Their &quot;average weight at three years was 1,850 Ibs. 

 After attaining this age, each animal received daily a peck of corn meal and wheat shorts, or 

 oatmeal combined, divided into two rations followed by a peck of sugar beets twice a day. 

 In summer their only feed was grass supplemented with a little hay. In the second winter 

 the daily rations of meal were increased to ten quarts each, given in two feeds. During their 

 last summer each received a peck of meal per day, given at morning and night, and in 

 the winter following twelve quarts of meal daily in three rations, besides roots. In winter 

 they also had the best of early cut hay from old meadows, and were closely confined, usually 

 having the run of a small yard with access to water, and with sheds under which they could 

 be protected from storms, being tied at feeding time. 



The mammoth ox Columbus, seven years of age, is said to have attained the weight of 

 nearly 4,000 Ibs. His length from nose to rumps is recorded as eleven feet; girth eleven feet; 

 height five feet, ton inches; horns from tip to tip, three feet and three inches. The Haxton 

 steer is reputed to have weighed 3,452 Ibs., while a pair of the Crystal Palace Show cattle 

 dressed 4,100 Ibs., one of them netting 2,173 Ibs., and lacked but two pounds of making 72 

 per cent, of the live weight. 



Thatcher s Military Journal of the Revolution, under date of June 24, 1779, contains the 

 following entry: No. 2. I have just had the satisfaction of viewing a venerable large Fat 

 Ox, which has been presented by some gentlemen in Connecticut to His Excellency Gen. 

 Washington. He is 6 feet 7 in. high, and weighs, on the hoof 3,500 Ibs. the largest animal 



I ever saw.&quot; 



The steer Gov. Morton is recorded as weighing 3,190 Ibs.; Burnside, 2,870 Ibs.; Nels. 

 Morris, 2,840 Ibs.; a one-year old steer, 1,338 Ibs. A three-year old steer owned by J. D. 

 Gillette, recently weighed 2,139 Ibs., while three cows owned by other parties are credited to 

 weigh respectively, 1,833 Ibs., 2,042 Ibs., and 1,936 Ibs. 



Such records are especially valuable as showing the great weight attained by beef cattle 

 of different ages, and what may be accomplished in this respect. While large size and heavy 



