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weight are very strong, and that much dissatisfaction, very 

 often without question groundless, frequently arises. It is 

 surprising how near to exactness the judgment of an intelligent 

 and experienced man approaches ; but as this method is liable to 

 the objection of a man s being judge in his own case, it would 

 seem very desirable that some less exceptionable method should 

 be adopted. I can think of no one more eligible than that of 

 ascertaining the live weight on a platform balance, and then 

 adopting some general rule as to the allowance to be made for 

 the difference between the live and the dead weight. A rate of 

 discount or allowance, founded upon repeated and exact experi 

 ments, would be equally fair for both parties. The adoption of 

 such a rule would be of the greatest service in enabling the 

 drover or owner to close his business in one day, and would, in 

 general, be much more satisfactory to the farmer, who sends his 

 cattle to market, and is not always without his suspicions of an 

 imperfect return. I offer these suggestions with great diffidence, 

 especially when I read, in a letter addressed to me by a practical 

 man, &quot;that there is no mathematical rule upon which he places 

 any reliance ; that he has often been invited to test the correct 

 ness of measuring beasts, and also to determine their dead, from 

 ascertaining their live weight, bin has found that no confidence 

 can be placed upon such rules.&quot; He adds, &quot; that after handling 

 beasts to ascertain their fatness, the mind, by practice, is in 

 tuitively impressed with about the weight of the four quarters, 

 exclusive of any offal ; and that experienced men can tell the 

 weight of beasts, on an average, within three stone of eight 

 pounds, and of sheep within two pounds.&quot; I believe all this ; 

 and it presents a beautiful example of what the mind is capable 

 of, and of what it may be brought to under careful training and 

 long practice. We certainly know that the mind is a very good 

 clock, and measures the time with wonderful exactness, both 

 sleeping and waking. I have been often struck with the extra 

 ordinary precision with which the poor blind horses, which move 

 the ferry-boat between Troy and the Albany side of the river, 

 measure the distance which they have come, and after making a 

 pause just before they touch the -opposite shore, seem to know 

 exactly how many more strokes or turns to give to the paddles, 

 in order to reach it. I hope I shall not offend the pride of any 

 of my readers, by this comparison of the brute with the human 



