POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE 95 



Different animals yield amounts of meat that differ very greatly 

 in proportion to their live weight. Under our present system 

 of marketing this point concerns the consumer more directly 

 than the farmer. One butcher's beast bred and treated in 

 exactly the same way as its neighbour may yield 54 per cent, 

 of carcase, while the other will yield 58 per cent. Under our 

 present system the farmer, as a rule, now gets the same price 

 for both animals, for they appear to be similar; but it cannot 

 be profitable to the country to go on paying the same price for 

 the beast of lower yield. We want to find out, also, what is the 

 most economic stage of the animal's life, or what is the most 

 profitable condition at which to slaughter. An inquiry 1 

 which Dr F. H. A. Marshall and I carried out in 1917 shows 

 clearly that not only do animals differ in a very marked degree 

 from one another as regards the proportion of meat-yield to 

 total live weight, but also that the profitableness of the carcase, 

 as a means of supplying human food, is a very varying factor. 

 The inquiry further showed, beyond any possible doubt, that 

 even among the experienced, knowledge was nebulous and belief 

 constantly erroneous about this very important matter. The 

 subject is a difficult one about which to acquire accurate know- 

 ledge, and consequently will require skilled attention, time, 

 and money to secure clear guidance for consumers and stock- 

 breeders. In the past so little attention has been given to the 

 subject (perhaps on account of the difficulties involved) that it 

 may almost be said that there lies an absolutely new field for 

 research ready to be worked by the expert in animal husbandry 

 who wishes to select the best from among the cattle of this 

 country. 



Investigation along these lines of meat and milk-production 

 might not only prove of great value in enabling us to choose 

 the most profitable animals for stocking and breeding, but 

 should also be very useful as a means of imparting better 

 technical education. In fact it may be said that unless the 



1 Since the above was written a summary of the report on this" inquiry 

 was published in the Journal of the Board of Agriculture for September 1918 ; 

 it was therein announced that the full report would appear in due course ; 

 subsequently, however, it was given out that the publication of the full 

 report was postponed. 



