On Weighing Live-Siod: 
467 
lu 1888 Mr. Fislier had to go to fairs and markets to stock 
his pastures, and bought by tho "hand and eye," but the stock 
went on the scales at home. There were several lots. The 
lowest price at which he had bought turned out to be 2s. Hd. 
and the highest 4s. 8d. per stone of 14 lbs. live-weight, and he 
states that, although he considered himself a practical man, he 
paid 4s. 8d. a stone for no better quality than that for which he 
paid 2,s\ 6d. All the lots seem to have been bought within a 
month. 
A reference to the next Table, H, giving the actual weights 
after purchase of eighty-five animals by eight different buyers 
on the same day at a great Midland fair, together with the prices 
paid for them, corroborates Mr. Fisher's conclusions as to the 
mistakes traders make in trusting to " hand and eye " alone. 
TixbleH. — Weights and Cost of 85 Beasts bought at a Fair 
on one day in May 1889. 
1 
Cost per 
Lot 
Description 
Number 
bought 
Average 
live- 
weight 
Cost per head 
stone of 
14 lbs. 
live- 
weight 
St. lbs. 
£ 
s. 
a. 
s. d. 
1 
2-ycar-old bullocks, never lost 
calves-flesh, fat. Would 
dress 57 per cent, and 58 
per cent, (baby beef). 
Shorthorns of extra good 
5 
81 4 
22 
0 
0 
5 5 
2 
2i -year-old Shorthorn heifers, 
store condition .... 
2 
57 12 
14 
10 
0 
5 04 
3 
Black Polled Angus, bred in 
Ireland, 2\ years old, very 
9 
51 0 
12 
10 
0 
4 lOJ 
4 
Black Polled, bred in Ireland, 
very poor, full 6 months 
younger than lot above . 
Shorthorn bullocks, fair quality 
23 
45 7 
13 
10 
0 
5 Hi 
5 
Irish, store condition . . 
23 
81 1 
20 
0 
0 
4 llj- 
6 
Shorthorns, second quality, 2 
years old, Irish .... 
16 
59 3 
TG 
0 
0 
5 5 
7 
Shorthorns, 3 years old, good 
quality, fresh store con- 
1 
4 
81 10 
19 
15 
0 
4 10 
8 
Kerry heifers, poor quality. 
grazed near Leicester . . 
3 
35 8 
7 
10 
0 
4 2J- 
Stores were making a high price at this fair, as indeed they 
were everywhere else; but that is no reason why a given weight 
of inferior store animals should make considerably more than 
that of a better lot of the same breed. 
The age, breed, and condition being known, this could not 
