670 
Anomalies of the Grazing Season of 1894. 
increased their weight by an average of between 27 and 28 
stones, live weight, daring the season ; and it is all the 
more disappointing, therefore, that, owing to the drop in price 
on the original weight bought, the profit on the increased 
weight should be so diminished. 
It would be natural to infer that the increase of impor- 
tations was accountable for this ; but although greater than last 
year, the importations for the ten months January to October, 
as shown below, fall short of those of 1892, which were smaller 
than any for the like periods of ten months of the three preced- 
ing years : — • 
1892 1893 1894 
Cattle, number . 441,235 295,309 419,650 
Beef (fresh), cwt. 1,639,309 1,512,000 1,771,34 7 
Whereas in the case of sheep the imports for the same periods 
are : — 
1892 1893 1894 
Sheep, number . 78,083 55,261 386,415 
Mutton, cwt. . 1,427,615 1,679,024 1,907,959 
And notwithstanding this enormous increase, the price of English 
mutton has been maintained at a level satisfactory to the breeder 
and grazier. 
It would seem, then, that the consumer is losing his dis- 
criminating taste in beef, but not in mutton, and that it matters 
no longer to the housewife — if she can be assured that what hangs 
outside is English — whether the bullock her joint is cut from is 
Deptford-killed, or even imported dead meat. 
If we are to learn a lesson from the recent season, it must 
be this : — Take care that what is bought when in store condition 
is weight for money. Study the question how the weight can 
be best increased, and see that the method of increasing it is 
the most economical. • 
The following experience during the late summer will serve 
to show how misdirected one’s efforts may be in attempting to 
attain the best results. 
At the end of May in this year, after having weighed all 
my cattle, I picked out those from the different lots which I 
thought least improving and most suitable for an early market, 
and proceeded to cake them. There were seven Runts and four 
Shorthorns — the latter weighed from a lot of twelve — which 
From April 21 to May 30 had been treated alike; 
from May 30 to June 1.4 had 3 lb. cotton-cake and 1 lb. linseed-cake ; aid 
from June 14 to Juno 28 had 3 lb. linseed-cake and 2 lb. cotton-cake. 
Of the twelve Shorthorns, four were not caked after May 30, 
