303 



Third — " Are any animals sold by live weight, and if so, 

 what is the ordinary allowance for shrinkage, or loss, or offal, 

 by slaughtering ?" 



There are a few beef cattle every week sold by live weight, 

 and occasionally a lot of sheep. The ordinary allowance for 

 shrinkage, is from 30 to 35 per cent, on market cattle. Some 

 cattle which have been driven a long distance, or are very fat 

 or hollow from the want of food, will not shrink more than 25 

 per cent. ; while others thin of flesh, or full of food, will 

 shrink 40 per cent. ; wethers usually shrink 50 per cent., and 

 sometimes more. It depends very much upon the state of the 

 animal at the time of weighing. Oxen fresh from the pasture 

 at night, have frequently been weighed and reweighed on the 

 following morning at 9 o'clock, and found to have shrunk 80 

 to 100 lbs. each. 



Fourth — " Are animals more generally sold on the hoof 

 by estimate than formerly ?" 



There are more, and it is to be regretted that the number is 

 not larger. 



Fifth — " Does the system of slaughtering the animal, and 

 then returning its weight to the drover, expose or lead to many 

 frauds in your opinion ?" 



The system undoubtedly leads to more or less frauds ; the 

 temptation is great. Very few, however, are exposed, it being 

 exceedingly difficult to detect the fraud. The butchers, how- 

 ever, as a class, for punctuality and honesty, will probably com- 

 pare with any other class of business men. 



Sixth — "Are there any practices prevailing within your 

 knowledge in cutting up or weighing, which are illegal and 

 against which the farmers complain?" 



No regard is now paid to the statute law in dressing and cut- 

 ting up beef cattle. The common law seems to have taken its 

 place, an agreement between the parties makes the statute void. 

 There is now a very general and uniform practice in dressing^ 

 cutting up, and weighing cattle, against certain parts of which 

 the farmers and drovers a few years since complained consider- 



