499 



J.— (p. 300.) 



METHOD OF DETERMINING THE WEIGHT OF CATTLE. 



The following rules are given in an English agricultural work of es- 

 tablished reputation. 1 cannot vouch for their exactness ; but should 

 they upon trial be found of use, the table, calculated upon these prin- 

 ciples, might be easily published in a convenient form for general use, 

 like an Interest Table. 



" The following method of ascertaining the dead weight of cattle by 

 measurement when alive, has been adopted to a considerable extent. 

 It is found to be an expeditious mode ; and if not to be implicitly de- 

 pended upon, at least furnishes a very important assistance to the judg- 

 ment of the dealer. 



Rule. — Take the girth of the beast by measuring round with a string 

 or tape close behind the shoulder-blade, and the length by measuring 

 from the fore part of the shoulder-blade, along the back, to that bone of 

 the tail which is in a perpendicular line with the hind part of the but- 

 tock. Multiply the girth (in feet) by itself, and that product by the 

 length, and then again by 42 ; the last product, divided by 100, will 

 give the weight in Smithfield stones of 8 lbs each. If stones of 14 lbs. 

 are required, the multiplier will be 24 instead of 42." 



Baxter'' s Library of Agricultural Knowledge, p. 364. 



K.— (p. 301.) 



EXTRACT FROM CHAP. 28, REVISED STATUTES. 



All beef cattle, except bulls, sold in market by weight, shall, when 

 slaughtered, be prepared for weighing, in the following manner ; the 

 legs shall be taken oif at the knee and gambrel joint, the skin shall be 

 taken from all other parts of the animal, the head shall be taken off at 

 the second joint of the neck, the entrails taken out, and all the fat of 

 the same be taken off and weighed as rough tallow ; and every other 

 part of the animal, including the hide and rough tallow, (the udder of 

 cows excepted,) shall be weighed. 



