146 
Block Tests. 
reference to the transcripts made from them and published in the 
pages of this Journal. 
The Tables are taken from official sources, but beyond giving the 
weekly gazetted prices of British corn per quarter, and the annual 
averages per quarter for ten years, together with the septennial 
average prices per bushel in relation to the tithe rent-charge, no 
information is furnished as to the value of British produce, except- 
ing some prices of wool during six years calculated from the prices 
given weekly in the Economist newspaper. It is true that the 
number and value of live cattle, sheep, and swine imported into the 
United Kingdom are given with provoking particularity, and this 
favour is extended to bacon, beef, hams, mutton and pork brought 
from foreign parts into this country. These, too, are as far as they 
go reliable returns, for they are based on actual weighing, counting, 
and measuring. 
Even foreign bones (burnt or not), hides, and seeds are found 
worthy of official entries in the Trade and Navigation Returns. 
As to the current values, however, of British store or fat cattle, 
sheep, or swine, there is no information whatever afforded, though 
no one would assert that the quantity and price of these articles do 
not affect British agricultural interests, and that accurate knowledge 
on that head is of the utmost value and importance to the owners 
and occupiers of the English soil. 
The omission is annoying and prejudicial, but the reason of it is 
obvious. Until the passing of the Act of 1891 there existed no 
possible means of obtaining accurately the requisite information. 
A general indifference on the matter has prevailed, and, with an 
extraordinary carelessness or indolence, the agricultural world has 
been content to remain wholly in the dark, or to be occasionally 
illuminated by the paragraphs in the public press headed “ Market 
Intelligence.” 
In \new of the useful provisions to be found in the two weighing 
Acts, it is to be hoped that before the termination of this year some 
reliable information on the value of English store and fat cattle 
will be thus officially obtained from our markets and fairs. 
Albert Pell. 
BLOCK TESTS. 
The public block tests that have been can-ied out in various parts of 
the kingdom clearly prove beyond doubt that “ guessing ” at the 
weight of carcass which a fat beast will yield is by far the most 
difficult operation in connection with the sale of fat cattle. There 
have been twelve of these block tests for farmers, but in many of 
these experiments butchers’ and dealers’ estimates have been in- 
cluded also. 
The average diversity of opinion between the highest and 
