26 
LIVE WEIGHT OF FAT CATTLE. 
and for improving the means of transit through the country 
of home cattle .—The Gardener^s Chronicle and Agricultural 
Gazette. 
LIVE WEIGHT OE EAT CATTLE. 
The publication of the live weights of the animals exhi¬ 
bited is so interesting a feature in this yearns Show at the 
Agricultural Hall^that^ now it is done, we can only wonder how 
it has happened that the Smithfield Club had not adopted 
the same thing before. Had this record been kept for twenty 
or thirty years, how much more interesting would be the 
present returns. As it is, they throw a clear and useful light 
on the decisions of the judges so far as the practical value of 
weight in the cross-breeds, and of true character, apart from 
weight, in the pure-breeds, is concerned. Among the beasts 
there are some noteworthy differences. The 1st prize young 
Devon weighed 1314lb.; the 2nd, 13881b.; and No. 2 upon 
the catalogue, 1493 lb.; the lightest in the class weighing 
1109 lb. These animals do not exceed 2 years and 6 months 
of age. The next class weighed—1st, 1721 lb.; and 2nd, 
13621b. And the oxen above 3 years and 3 months, 1st, 
1912 lb.; 2nd, 19341b. The first is 3 years and 10 months 
old; 2nd, 3 years and 11 months; while the Commended 
beast weighed 21061b. at the age of 3 years and 7 months, 
or 3 months younger than the winner of 1st prize, and 4 
months younger than the 2nd prize. The heifers exhibited 
similar differences. The cows, which of course have arrived 
at the age of maturity, weighed, the 1st, 13481b.; the 2nd, 
l608lb.; and the remaining three of this class, 1230 1b., 
1360 lb., and 1432 lb. Mr. Heath^s great Hereford ox weighs 
2336 lb.; the 2nd prize, 2211 lb.; the 3rd, 2186 lb.; and the 
highest in this class, 2044 lb. The 2nd prize Hereford heifer 
here and at Birmingham, and which we last week said was 
too small of frame to merit a high honour when put to the 
test of the scale, only weighed, although fed to the fulness of 
an egg, 1360 lb. against i960 lb. and 1742 lb. for the 1st prize 
and another respectively. The older Shorthorn steers, under 
3 years 3 months, ranged between 2201 lb. for the 1st prize, 
and 16721b. for the lightest in this class; the 2nd weighing 
21431b., and 3rd, 20301b. The Shorthorn oxen over 3 years 
and 3 months are but little, if any, heavier on the whole than 
the class below them. Some of these tests produce appa- 
