Comparative Fattening Qualities of Sheep. 



195 



this would reduce the price per stone of the carcasses of the 

 sheep sold alive bj a little more than Id. below that of those sold 

 dead, that is, to about 2s. ^d. 



So fluctuating are the markets that it would of course be im- 

 possible to institute any exact comparison as to the produce of 

 sale, of the Cotswolds with that of the Hampshire and Sussex 

 sheep without first comparing the state of the market at the dif- 

 ferent times of sale. We shall defer, however, any full con- 

 sideration of the subject in this point of view until we have 

 completed our experiments with other breeds. In the mean time, 

 however, we subjoin a balance-sheet of the experiments with the 

 Cotswolds in the same form as given for the Hampshire and 

 Sussex Downs ; but for the reasons stated above we shall not, on 

 this occasion, go into a full consideration of its bearings ; nor 

 need we here repeat our explanation of the plan and object 

 of a balance-sheet in the particular form adopted ; in which, as 

 will be seen, we have only the cost of the lambs and of their dry 

 or marketable food on the one side, set against the net produce of 

 sale of the fat sheep and their Vv^ool on the other. 



Table XIII. 

 Balance Sheet of the Cotswolds. 





£. S. d. 



£. 



s. 



d. 



Cost of 40 Cotswold wether lambs, at 33s. M. . . 





66 



10 



0 



They consumed, of purchased food, — 











6460 lbs. of oilcake, at 6Z. 15s. per ton 



19 9 3f 









5520 lbs. of clover hay, at 4Z. per ton . 



9 17 If 









Total of purchased food . 





29 



6 



5i 







95 



16 



51 



40 fat Cotswolds, sold April, 1852 (with wool) . . 





92 



3 



7* 



Difference .... 





3 



12 



10 



After the remarks above, introducing this balance-sheet, we 

 need only here say, in explanation, that, as before in estimating 

 the cost of the lambs at the commencement of the experiment, 3f/. 

 per head per week is charged for their board up to that time ; and 

 we may add, that (so far to aid the comparison) the oilcake and 

 clover-chaff are charged exactly at the same rates as for the Hamp- 

 shire and Sussex sheep, regardless of any fluctuations in the cost 

 of those articles. 



It may also be noticed that the market in which these Cots- 

 wolds were sold was quoted as " exceedingly heavy" ; and it will 

 be observed that the increase of the fat sheep with their wool did 

 not cover the cost of the dry foods by about 3/. 135., instead of 

 within 65, or 7^., as was the case with the Hampshire and Sussex 

 sheep. These, however, were also sold in a bad market. 



We have only now to add a general tabulated summary, giving 

 at one view the results embodied in detail in the preceding Tables 



o 2 



