176 



Smiihfield, London. 



Vol. X. 



Smithfield, London. 



Character and Quality of Stock. — The 

 quality of the cattle exliibited in Smithfield 

 market, of sheep in particular, is extraordi- 

 nary for its fatness. The show of the Smith- 

 field Club, which is held in December, under 

 the patronag'e of some of the first noblemen 

 in the kingdom, may very properly be de- 

 nominated a show of monstrosities, in the 

 way of fatness. They are moving elephan- 

 tine masses of flesh, and if, as according to 

 modern chemical philosophy, all fat is the 

 result of disease, they are far from being at- 

 tractive to any but the grossest epicure. No 

 advantage can come from rearing animals to 

 Buch an inordinate degree of fatness, save in 

 the matter of showing what the art of man 

 can accomplish in respect to the animal 

 economy, and also that of testing the nutri- 

 tious and fattening qualities of different 

 kinds of food. 



In respect to the weight of the animals in 

 Smithfield, an individual familiar with the 

 subject, and in whom I have great confi- 

 dence, states that the beasts from tv.'o to 

 three years old, will average from 85 to 1(30 

 stone of 8 pounds, or from 680 to 800 pounds, 

 when dressed — that is, the four quarters. 

 Others place it not higher than 82 stone, or 

 656 pounds; of calves, 150 pounds; of pigs, 

 100 pounds; of sheep, 90 pounds. Calves 

 are seldom sent to market under six or eight 

 weeks old ; and large hogs are never seen 

 in the market. If we may rely upon an- 

 cient authorities, within a century past the 

 weight of animals in Smithfield market has 

 nearly doubled ; perhaps more than doubled. 

 It is said that, in 1710, the average weight 

 of beasts was 370 pounds; of calves, 50 

 pounds ; of sheep and lambs, 28 pounds. 

 This increase of size is probably attributable 

 in the main to two great causes, which de- 

 serve serious consideiation. The first is, the 

 improvement of the breeds of cattle. A 

 person has only to go into Smithfield market 

 to remark the perfection to which the art of 

 breeding has been carried, and the distinct 

 ness of the lines by which the difl^erent 

 breeds are separated from each other. Three 

 great points seem to have been gained. The 

 first is, great size and weight have been at- 

 tained ; the second is, the tendency to fat- 

 ten, and to keep in fat condition, has been 

 greatly cultivated; the third is, that the ani- 

 mal arrives early at maturity. All these 

 are most important points; the last certainly 

 not least; for if an animal can bo brought 

 to the same size and weight, without dou- 

 bling the expense, at eighteen months old, 

 that ho could formerly be made to reach not 



sooner than at three years of age, the quick 

 returns, so essential in all commercial trans- 

 actions, are secured, and as the expenses are 

 lessened, the profits are greatly increased. 

 Nothing strikes one with more surprise than 

 to see what, in the improvement of the ap- 

 pearance and constitution of the stock, in- 

 telligence, skill, and perseverance can effect. 

 I may here with propriety quote what my 

 friend, before referred to, says in relation to 

 the qual ty of the stock in Smithfield. "I 

 fear many of our breeds of beasts and sheep 

 are becoming worse than they were, from an 

 excessive attention to neatness and symme- 

 try of form, so that bulk and quantity of good 

 flesh have been too much overlooked. Our 

 Hereford beasts are much inferior to what 

 they were; also other b'-eeds of beasts; and 

 particularly some breeds of sheep. Some 

 persons are so very particular about purity 

 of blood, that they often run into great er- 

 ror; their stock losing flesh, constitution, 

 and size. This is particularly observable in 

 Leicester sheep. So wedded are some per- 

 sons to this breed, and to what they call 

 purity of blood, that their sheep keep dwind- 

 ling into very insignificant stock. I am. sat- 

 isfied that we cannot go on breeding in and 

 in, without losing size, quality, and worth." 

 I give these opinions of a very practical 

 man, as familiar with the Smithfield m.arket 

 as any man in England, without endorsing 

 them, and leave them to speak for them- 

 selves. 



The second great cause of the improve- 

 ment of the stock in Smithfield market is, 

 the improvement of the husbandry of the 

 cotmtry, particuhirly by the introduction of 

 what is called the alternate husbandly, and 

 the cultivation of green crops. The culti- 

 vation of turnips and swedes is compara- 

 tively modern ; and perhaps no single cir- 

 cumstance has efiected so great an improve- 

 ment in the agricultural condition of the 

 country. Formerly, cattle were fatted, if 

 fatted at all, upon grass and hay, and these 

 of inferior kinds ; the store stock were win- 

 tered upon straw, and came to t!ie spring in 

 such a condition that the greater part of the 

 summer was required, in order to recover 

 what they had lost in the winter. Now, 

 the introduction of the artificial grasses, 

 clover, and rye-grass, the growing of vetch- 

 es, rape, turnips, swedes, carrots, and man- 

 gel-wurzel, and the use of oil-cake, have 

 multiplied in an extraordinary manner the 

 resources of the farmer; and the practice of 

 folding his sheep, and stall feeding his fat- 

 ting beasts, give him a command of feed, 

 and, and, if 1 may so say, such a control 

 over the season, that the results are most re- 



