COST OF AMERICAN BABY STEER. 253 



Dr. A bullock, 71 weeks old $65.93 



Profit . 19.07 



Total $85.00 



dr. A bullock, sold at 71 weeks $75 . 00 



Value of manure 10.00 



Total $85.00 



This tabulation of the cost of our " baby bullock " shows 

 that the profits are easier on our side than theirs, although 

 their market price is 30 to 50 per cent, higher than ours. 

 There is no doubt that the American farmer has a larger 

 margin of profit, even in our depressed market, than the 

 English farmer in his. We know that we can produce as 

 good weight and quality at the same age as the most 

 skillful British farmer, and at a cost 40 per cent. less. 

 Unfortunately the proportion of skillful feeders in this 

 country is much less than in England, and therein is where 

 we should make every effort to improve. If 50 per cent, 

 of all the young beef animals were raised on a similar plan 

 to the formula given, we should be able to double our 

 exports of live cattle and beef. Unfortunately the surplus 

 of such high quality is not large, and consequently much 

 of a poorer quality takes its place, and thus injures our 

 market abroad. Our foreign market for the best beef will 

 grow as fast as the quality of our animals improves. 



QUALITY OF YOUNG BEEF. 



Mr. Evershed gives some important testimony on this 

 point. He speaks of a somewhat general opinion, that 

 very young beef cannot be of the best quality, and says : 



" Beef is affected by the mode of feeding, and it is not 

 the fact that young beef is necessarily poor. Mr. Post, the 

 butcher of Ship street, Brighton, who supplies a superior 

 class of customers, writes of some young bullocks of 

 Charlton Court, purchased in January, 1874, at 19M months 

 old, and weighing 100 stone, 94 stone, 92 stone and 90 



