1908.] 



Cost of Producing Beef in Winter. 



253 



The question has frequently been asked by visitors to the 

 experimental farm attached to the Cambridge University 

 Department of Agriculture whether these immune varieties 

 will prove of value in such countries as Canada and Australia, 

 where there is a great demand for rust-resisting wheats. 

 Taking into consideration what little evidence there is in 

 existence it seems safe to say that they will be worthless. 

 In those countries they would be exposed to the attacks of 

 other species of rusts, and it by no means follows that because 

 a variety is resistant to one kind it is to all. In fact there is 

 every possibility that the varieties raised from " Club " wheat 

 will prove extremely susceptible to the attacks of black rust, 

 immune though they are to yellow rust. No opportunity has 

 yet offered to test this point satisfactorily, but the parent 

 has proved very susceptible to this rust when grown in the 

 Transvaal and also in Canada, and small pustules of it have 

 appeared on the hybrid descendants in this country from time 

 to time. The term rust-resistant must then be used in a more 

 limited manner than is usually the case and a statement as 

 to what particular kind of rust is referred to added to it. 



When one remembers that every country has its special 

 needs with regard to such features as drought-resistance, 

 early maturation, &c, there can be no question that each 

 will have to solve its own problem of building up ideal rust- 

 resisting varieties. 



THE COST OF PRODUCING BEEF IN WINTER. 

 K. J. J. Mackenzie, 



Lecturer in Agriculture, University of Cambridge. 



The problem of the true cost of producing beef has long- 

 exercised the minds of agriculturists. Not only has it been 

 frequently discussed in the leading agricultural journals 

 during the past half century, but still earlier references to the 

 question may be found in the " Communications " published 

 by the Board of Agriculture between the years 1800 and 

 1812.* (See footnote on next page.) 



Cost of Feeding. — The first point to be ascertained is, what 

 live-weight is gained during the feeding of animals put up to 

 fatten. Mere " opinions " or " beliefs " have to be ignored, 



