On Weighing lAve-Stock. 
451 
well-written article on Selling Stock by Live-weight ; ' with an 
account of the early attempts to arrive at exactitude in weights 
by calculations depending on measurement, worked out in tables 
constructed for that purpose bj^ experts, and a reference to 
*' Gary's well-known cattle gauge," based upon the calculations 
of Dr. Wollaston. There is no doubt the article published by 
Sir John Lawes and Dr. Gilbert in 1860 (Royal Agricultural 
Society's Journal, Volume XXI. Part II.), giving the results of 
a series of elaborate and exhaustive experiments on the com- 
position of oxen, sheep, and pigs, first established a reliable 
standard. In later times an important part has been taken by 
Mr. Westley Richards in pushing the system to the front, in 
bringing its adoption within the reach of the general public, 
and in exposing the loss which feeders suffer from a reluctance 
to give it a trial. In order, however, to derive the advantage 
of substituting the system of the scale for the rule of thumb, 
legislation was needed. Thanks to the extraordinary pertinacity 
and acuteness of Mr. Westley Richards, who, in season and out 
of season, has never let the subject drop, an Act has been got 
through Parliament by which this advantage is secured, and 
every market of any importance now gives, or is bound to give, 
facilities, for those who like to avail themselves of them, for 
weighing their live-stock. 
In addition to this, the scale-makers are turning their atten- 
tion to the new requirement, and manufacturers have got out an 
extremely convenient weighbridge furnished with automatic gear 
for stamping on a ticket, after the fashion of railway tickets, the 
weight to a pound of the animal standing on the platform. 
As an assistance in computing values to those who use the 
scales, Sir John B. Lawes has prepared and printed a very elabo- 
rate and complete set of tables for the conversion of imperial 
stones of live-weight into cwts., scores, and 8 lb. stones of dead- 
weight, adjusted to different percentages of carcass in live-weight, 
and ranging over light and heavy fat cattle. There are in all 84 
of these tables, the first three of which show at a glance, without 
any calculation, the money value of store cattle^ according to their 
live-weight in stones of 14 lbs., and to the price per stone of live- 
weight agreed upon ; and they are applicable for a range of live- 
weight from 40 to 90 stones, and for a range of price commencing 
at 2.S. per stone, and advancing 2d. per stone to 5s. The remain- 
ing tables, 81 in number, show the dead-weight and the money 
value of /a/ cattle, according to their live-weight, to their condition 
as represented by percentage of carcass in live-weight, and to the 
' Journal of the Bath and West of England Society, Vol. XVIII. 3rd Series, 
"Selling Stock by Live-weight," by R;. Henry Rew. 
