144 



TO ASCERTAIN THE WEIGHT OF LIVE CATTLE, 



First, see that the animal stands square, then, with a 

 string, take his circumference just behind the shoulder- 

 blade, and measure the feet and inches this is the girth. 

 Then measure from the bone of the tail which plumbs the 

 line with the hinder part of the buttock, and direct the 

 string along the back to the forepart of the shoulder-blade, 

 and this will be the length. Then, work the figures thus . 

 Suppose girth of bullock 6 feet 4 inches, length 5 feet 

 3 inches, which multiplied together make 33 square super 

 ficial feet ; and these, multiplied by 23 the number of 

 pounds allowed for each superficial foot of cattle measur 

 ing less than seven and more than Jive feet in girth make 

 759 Ibs. When the animal measures less than nine and 

 more than seven feet in girth, 31 is the number of pounds 

 to be estimated for each superficial foot. And suppose a 

 small animal to measure 2 feet in girth and 2 feet in length, 

 these multiplied together make 4 feet, which, multiplied 

 by eleven the number of pounds allowed for each square 

 foot when cattle measure less than three feet in girth 

 make 44 Ibs. Again, suppose a calf or sheep, &c., to 

 measure 4 feet 6 inches in girth, and 3 feet 9 inches in 

 length, that multiplied together, makes 16 square feet, and 

 these multiplied by 16, the number of pounds allowed for 

 cattle measuring less than 5 and more than 3 feet in girth, 

 make 256 Ibs. The dimensions in girth and length of the 

 back of cattle, sheep, calves and hogs, taken this way, are 

 as exact as is at all necessary for common computation 

 or valuation of stock, and will answer to the four quar 

 ters of the animal, sinking the offal. A deduction must 

 be made for animals half fat, of one pound in twenty from 

 those that are fat; and for a cow that has had calves, 

 one pound must be allowed, in addition to the one for 

 not being fat, upon every twenty. 



THE END. 



