256 Cost of Producing Beef in Winter. [July, 



carcase-weight, which, at ys. per week, costs 112s. Therefore 

 1 lb dead- weight costs just over 6%d., or 1 stone costs 8s. 

 This is not done with any but the very best stock, and it is 

 much more likely that an 8 cwts. store yielding 52 per cent, 

 would want to be taken to 10J cwts. before attaining fatness 

 enough to yield 58 per cent., which would make the percentage 

 •of carcase gain to live-weight 77 per cent. Gained, it must 

 be noted, in over 20 weeks, which, as we shall see later is a 

 much more expensive matter. But if, as is often the case, 

 a farmer kept his store beasts till they were a little better 

 than ' fresh/' that is about 54 per cent., before beginning to 

 force them, there is every chance of the gain obtained in 16 

 weeks feeding being 75 per cent, carcase-weight. This is in the 

 case of animals coming out at 58 per cent, when weighing 

 about 11 cwts., or 51 stones of 14 lb., carcase or 88 butchers' 

 stones of 8 lb. 



The following statement, therefore, represents what is 

 likely to be the case in very many instances : — 16 weeks' keep 

 yields 2 cwts., or 224 lb., live-weight ; 75 per cent, of 224 = 

 168 lb. dead-weight, which, at ys. per week, costs 112s., that is 

 Sd. a lb. or 9s. 4^. a stone of 14 lb. 



The above calculation is, of course, liable to many variations. 

 It assumes careful selection of food-stuffs, proper housing, and 

 a fairly competent man as feeder, but I would specially draw 

 attention to the following points : — 



Quality of Store. — Individuality or " quality " of store is 

 most marked in the figures shown in Mr. Burrows' early 

 experiments, as well as in the other trials, and a further example 

 coming under my notice brings this out very forcibly. At 

 Wye College in the autumn of 1906 two steers, (a) good and (b) 

 poor, were used to demonstrate to the students the different 

 11 points " of value in selecting stores. The two animals were 

 of the South Wales black-cattle type, of the same age, bred 

 and reared on the same farm, (a) was by no means ideal ; 

 he was, however, deep through the heart, with a decent flank and 

 middle piece, good buttocks, a nice touch, and his disposition 

 was that of a quiet feeding animal. The other animal (b) was 

 by no means a " screw," but was higher on the leg, inclined to 

 be tucked up, not kindly in the skin, and restless or nervous 

 in character. They were both tied up in the same shed, and 



