80 Evperiments on the Comparative Fattening Qualities 
means the circumstances admitted, of an approximate comparison 
in a money point of view, between the lots fed side by side, can- 
not be employed in any way in comparing together the result of 
the whole six lots. 
If, however, we could arrive at any satisfactory manner of 
estimating the average money value of the lambs of the i-e- 
spectivc breeds, we could then institute a pretty safe comparison 
of the money return of the different lots ; for, on the one hand, 
the dry foods could be taken at one uniform rate for all, and, on 
the other, the Tables which are published of the Average Prices 
of the different descriptions of mutton and wool, would enable us 
to put all on the same fooling, so far as the produce of sale is 
concerned. 
No satisfactory comparative estimate of the average cost of the 
respective lambs, at a given age or Aveight, can be made. To 
say nothing of the variation in different seasons or localities, 
according to the supply of food and other matters, the methods 
of business adopted in the rearing or procuring of stores of a 
pure breed, and of a first cross, are necessarily so different in 
themselves, independently of the influence of locality on the two 
modes, that any attempt to form an estimate of the average 
comparative value of the different kinds of lambs could only 
yield a fallacious basis for any further calculations. 
Perhaps the safest way of applying the results of the experi- 
ments, to institute a comparison of the relative economy of the 
different lots as rapid fatteners, is, then, to set aside altogether the 
question of the relative prices of the lambs, and to take into 
account only the relative amounts of food required to yield a 
given weight of the fattened animal in the different cases, and 
the average comparative value of the mutton and wool produced. 
That is to say, if we take the amount of food consumed by each 
lot to produce 100 lbs. of live weight on the one hand, and the 
average money value of 100 lbs. live weight of each of the 
different descriptions of sheep on the other, we have a pretty 
fair means of forming an approximate comparison of the economy 
at least of feeding, if not of the rearing of the respective lots. 
Setting aside then the actual prices obtained lor the different 
descriptions of mutton and avooI, we have in the following Table 
(XX.), which is compiled from BeWs Weekly Messenrjer of 
January 1851, the average price at Smithfield Market, and during 
a period of ten years, namely, from 1840 to 1849 inclusive, of 
different descriptions of mutton per stone of 8 lbs. to sink the 
offal. 
Table XX. 
