ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



From a great variety of experiments, it appears that 100 lbs. of live-weight of a 

 beast, not fattened, yet not lean, gives 52-54 lbs. of flesh-weight, and if the fat is 

 reckoned, 56-59 lbs.; of the half-fattened, 54-60 lbs. of flesh, and with tallow 59-63 

 lbs. ; and entirely fattened, 61-64 lbs., and with tallow 70 lbs. 100 lbs. of flesh give, 

 with lean beasts, 6-8 lbs. of tallow; with half-fattened ones, 9-12 lbs. ; but with fat- 

 tened ones, 13-27 lbs. The fleshy parts of less value, as entrails, head and feet, 

 are to pure flesh in the 4 quarters in a lean beast, as 20-22 ; in half-fattened, as 15- 

 20 ; in fattened, as 8-12 to 100 lbs. From this it appears how much more profitable 

 it is for the butcher to buy fat cattle, even if considerably dearer, than lean ; because 

 with the absolute weight of the beast he obtains more fatty parts, which, as tallow, 

 is often doubly more dear than flesh ; because he obtains a better price for the fat- 

 tened animal ; because the head has a higher proportionate value, and because there 

 is muchless weight of such flesh, as frequently has only half the value of better flesh." 



In the 2d volume of the British Husbandry, p. 392, it is stated. " The stock-bailiff 

 of the late Mr. Curwen always calculated from his experience, that the dead-weight 

 was equal to -^^.^^^^, that is to say ^ths of the live weight." The following rule is 

 also given : " The girth is taken by passing a cord just behind the shoulder-blade, 

 and under the fore-legs ; this gives the circumference ; and the length is taken along 

 the back, from the foremost corner of the blade-bone of the shoulder, in a straight 

 Ihie to the hindmost point of the rump, or that bone of the tail which plumbs the line 

 with the hinder part of the buttock. The girth and length are then measured by 

 tlie foot rule." Tables have been constructed by different persons, calculated on the 

 stone of 14 lbs., "by multiplying the square of the girth by the length, and this pro- 

 duct by a decimal, which may be assumed as nearly .238 for the live-weight; the 

 dead-weight is ascertained by multiplying the live-weight by the decimal, .605 ; thus 

 -1^0*0^ will give the product of the four quarters." Mr. Renton. however, states that 

 for a half-fattened ox, must be deducted 1 stone for 20 from that of a fat ox : for 

 a cow which has had calves, 1 stone must also be deducted, and another if not 

 properly fat." "Mr. McDerment proposes that in case of very fat animals A- or -\ 

 part should be added to the weight obtained by measurement, and when below the 

 ordinary state of fatness, the same proportion should be deducted. Old milch cows 

 which have had a number of calves should have ^ or -^^ of their weight de- 

 ducted." 



