254 



Cost of Producing Beef in Winter. [july, 



for experience has shown that these are as unreliable as some 

 of the " guesses " given at the " block-tests " competitions. 

 I have before me the figures for four sets of trials, two of which 

 were held in Norfolk in the winters of 1896-97! and 1897-98, 

 and two in the East Lothian in the winters 1904-05 and 

 1905-06. t In these four feeding trials we have 106 animals 

 of the Irish Shorthorn class from two to three years old, all 

 fed on farms by " practical " feeders, and I find that the 

 average time taken to put on 2 cwts. is 16 weeks, or 1 stone 

 of 14 lb. live-weight per week. To check these figures I have 



* A Norfolk feeding trial (given in " Communications to the Board of Agricul- 

 ture on Subjects Relative to the Husbandry and Internal Improvement of the Country, 

 Vol. VII, Part I ") is full of interest, for it enables us to compare the methods of to-day 

 with those of our forefathers. The question at issue was how much might be allowed 

 per bushel for carrots when converted into beef. The results are reproduced in the 

 following table : — 



Norfolk Feeding Experiment, 1810, carried out by Robert Burrows, Esq., 

 Weasenham, Nr. Rougham. 



Lot. 



Number of 

 Bullocks. 



Ration. 



Gained ( + ) or Lost ( - ) 

 in first 4 weeks. 







Total. 



Each Beast. 



I 

 II 

 III 

 IV 



v 



2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 2 



J 5 lb. straw. 

 1 204 ,, turnips. 

 I 5 ,, straw. 

 1 149 ,, swedes. 

 I 5 >, straw. 

 1 92 mangels, 

 f 5 ,, straw. 

 L 142 ,, carrots, 

 f 22 ,, straw. 

 \ 3'3^ ,, molasses. 



St. lb. 



}+ 5 i3 

 } + 6 3 

 } + 5 r 

 }+ 9 5 



}- • • 



St. lb. 



J 1 13 

 1 4 0 

 f 2 3 

 I 4 0 

 J 3 11 

 L 1 4 

 f 5 3 

 I 4 2 



r 0 3 

 \ 0 12 



Recapitidation. 



Lot I ate 11,143 lb- turnips, gained 83 lb. Beef at gd. per lb. Paid for turnips, 



■$\d. per bushel of 53 lb. 

 Lot II ate 8,374 lb. swedes, gained 87 lb. Beef at gd. per lb. Paid for swedes, 



5f<^. per bushel of 53 lb. 

 Lot III ate 5,143 lb. of mangels gained 71 lb. Beef at gd. per lb. Paid for mangels, 



Sid. per bushel of 67 lb. 

 Lot IV ate 7,949 lb of carrots, gained 131 lb. Beef at gd. per lb. Paid for carrots,. 



Sd. per bushel of 54 lb. 

 Lot V lost 151b. Beef at gd., + 1871b. molasses at $\d. per lb., + 1,1361b. 

 straw £1 is., + cutting straw =£4. us. g\d. 



t Cambridge and Counties Agricultural Education Scheme. First Annual Report,, 

 by Professor T. B. Wood. 



+ Edinburgh and East of Scotland Agricultural College. Reports by W. 

 Bruce, B.Sc. 



