152 AN AGRICULTURAL FAGGOT. 



It will be seen that only in two instances did the 

 highest estimate given by an expert amount to so much 

 as the actual weight. On the average their estimates 

 were 9 stone 5 lbs. too little for the five bullocks, while 

 the estimate calculated from the live weight varied only 

 10 lbs. from the actual result. 



The principle which is applicable to cattle is, of course, 

 equally applicable to sheep. At a debate held at the 

 Central Chamber of Agriculture in April last, Mr. Albert 

 Pell quoted a striking instance of the accidental adoption 

 of the system at Melton, in Leicestershire, which had 

 occurred only in the previous month. A large breeder of 

 sheep arrived in the market too late for the auction. The 

 butchers offered him a certain price for his sheep, which 

 he refused to accept. The butchers then offered him 

 " 8\d. per lb. for the dressed meat, dead weight." This 

 offer he also declined, one reason for his so doing being 

 that he could not be present himself to see the animals 

 weighed after slaughter. At last he said, " I will sell 

 them at /\d. per lb. live weight on the scale, dirt and all, 

 as they stand." The proposal was accepted, and his 

 sheep, thirty in number, were weighed, and produced £8 

 more than the highest bid which had been made for them. 

 The butchers who bought them were satisfied, and 

 admitted that they had been mistaken in the weight of 

 the sheep. 



The figures which have been quoted conspire to show 

 that the dead weight may be estimated from the live 

 weight with very considerable accuracy. Wherever it 

 has been possible to check a careful calculation by the 

 actual weight after slaughter, the agreement has been 

 very close. There is no doubt also that in the majority 

 of instances the vendor gets a better price by weight than 

 he does by guesswork. This is, indeed, only to be 

 expected. The farmer is necessarily handicapped in 

 bargaining with the butcher. The use of the scales as a 

 basis of sale would indisputably tend to his advantage. 



