CHAP. xiii. WEIGHING MACHINES FOR CATTLE. 227 



weight of the carcass of an animal by handling it ; but let me see it, 

 and place it upon the scales, and I can form as correct an opinion in 

 regard to the weight of the carcass as the most experienced salesman. 

 Long experience in weighing stock satisfies me that the farmer rarely 

 obtains for his fat stock their value according to the prices quoted in 

 the papers ; he either receives less per stone, or he receives for less 

 stones than the animals weigh." 



The "Pocket Ready Reckoner," by Mr. T. H. Thursfield, of Barrow, 

 Broseley, Shropshire, is also useful for the same purpose. 



Nothing could better illustrate the need of the weighing machine 

 than the case given by Mr. Albert Pell, in his paper on weighing live- 

 stock, published in " The Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society," vol. 

 xxv., second series (1889). " It so happened," says Mr. Pell, " that 

 the experiments conducted by the Royal Agricultural Society of 

 England at Woburn furnished an opportunity of great practical value 

 at that time for forming a comparison between the judgment of five 

 experienced feeders of cattle and the statical authority of the scales. 

 Dr. Voelcker, having charge of the feeding experiments at Woburn, 

 invited these five gentlemen to estimate the carcass-weight of eight of 

 the experimental beasts he was about to weigh. It should not be for- 

 fotten that the amount and character of the food consumed, the period of 

 fattening, and the treatment of these animals down to the nicest details 

 were furnished to the guessers. There seems to have been nothing 

 wanting to render the guesses oracular except the gift of divination. 

 That this certainly was not vouchsafed will be gathered from the Table 

 on the following page. 



The cattle of the farmer, unless he resides at a very great distance, 

 are usually sent to the metropolitan market for sale. A few 3 r ears ago they 

 were always driven the whole distance ; and many an accident, with 

 occasionally loss of life, and the certain diminution of weight to a very 

 considerable extent, was the result. Now, conveyance by railway 

 greatly obviates this disadvantage. 



Some preparation should always be made for the commencement of 

 the journey, where the animals have to be driven far. Their food 

 should undergo some change. The green food should be diminished, 

 and the dry food increased, in order to prevent diarrhoea on the road. 

 They should be loosened from their stalls a short time twice in the day, for 

 the two or three days previous to their setting out, in order to accustom 

 them a little to exercise, and prevent that giddiness by which they 

 would probably be attacked after being so long confined, and also to 

 prevent any of the dangerous pranks wJiich they ma}^ be inclined to play 

 upon the road. That farmer would DQ wise who put them in the trevis 

 and had them shod, for where the journey on foot is long several of almost 

 every large herd are usually left behind, and become expensive, or are 

 sold to great disadvantage, on account of their hoofs being worn through 

 by the roughness of the roads. They should start slowly, and during 

 the first two or three days should not be driven more than seven or 

 eight miles per day. In winter they should be put into an open 

 court or shed at night, and in summer turned into some pasture. 

 Gradually the day's journey may be increased to twelve or fourteen 



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