182 
ILLUSTRATED STOCK POCTOH. 
Heavy Weights. 
Until the inauguration of the Chicago Fat Stock Show, under the 
auspices of the Board of Agriculture of Illinois, very little reliable data 
could be had as to gain in feeding animals of various ages. It was well 
understood, however, that the young animal gained faster in proportion 
to the amount of food consumed, than the mature animal, and that the 
older and fatter the animal became, the less the daily gain. As showing 
actual facts we append the statements of exhibitors, sworn to in some of 
the more important classes shown there, and the reports of committee 
thereon : 
“Among the heavy cattle were the following, and credited to weigh, a3 
taken from the pasture and feeding yards, as follows: The steer Gov. 
Morton, 3,190 lbs ; Burnside, 2,870 ; Hoosier Boy, 2,640 ; Nels. Morris, 
2,840 pounds. The following are the actual, weights as given by the 
committee, on animals 1 year to 4 years old : 
Messrs. Graves & Co., one steer 4 years old, 2,445 ; one steer 3 years 
old, 2,060. 
A. F. Moore, one steer 2 years old, 1,786. 
J. D. Gillett, one steer 3 years eld, 2,139. 
Wing* &• Thompson, one steer, 4 years old, 2,240; one steer 4 years 
old, 2,166; one cow, 1,525; one cow, 1,610. 
John B. Sherman, one steer 3 years old, 2,019. 
J. N. Brown’s Sons, one steer 2 years old, 1,446; one steer 2 years 
old, 1,449; one steer 2 years old, 1,636; one steer 2 years old, 1,316; 
one steer 2 years old, 1,246; one steer 1 year old, 1,338; one steer 1 
year old, 1,249 ; one steer 1 year old, 1,193. 
Dexter Curtis, one cow, 1,833 ; one cow, 2,042 ; one cow, 1,936.” 
In this, of the interesting facts shown, is the great weight attained by 
one, two and three-year-old steers, as well as the great ultimate weights 
attained by mature oxen, viz. : Best one-year-old, weight 1,338 pounds; 
best two-year-old, weight 1,786 pounds; best three-year-old, 2,13? 
pounds; and the heaviest 3,190 pounds. The crucial test in every 
examination being simply the value of the animal for the butcher. 1 ho 
records given below will repay the study, and the reports of the com- 
mittees, as given, will show the points upon which the several decisions have 
l>een made : 
The committee on Short-Horn steers, 4 years old ar.d over, make the 
following report on ages, weights, and gains per day, and add the comments 
which arc appended; 
