70 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
weighing ; the one, that of sinking the offal, as it is termed, that is weigh¬ 
ing only the four quarters, or carcase, when dressed, without taking into 
account the weight of the hide and tallow. 
The other mode is termed weighing all round, that is, estimating in 
the aggregate the weight of beef, hide and tallow. 
The former mode (of sinking the offal,) is pursued in the city ofNew- 
Yorlc, and some other large cities; the latter method is practised in 
country towns, and in the country generally. 
The hide and tallow are equal in weight to 20 per cent,for one-fifth of 
the whole weight of the animal after being slaughtered and dressed, 
when well fattened, but if very fat, somewhat more, and is sometimes 
absurdly called the fifth quarter. 
It is to be observed, that the New-York butcher pays only for the 
weight of the four quarters, that is, the beef, or carcass, when dressed, 
and pockets the hide and tallow as clear profit of 20 per cent, even should 
he retail out the beef on his stall for the same sum that he paid; but he 
always has a further profit on it'. Consequently, the lighter the beef 
weighs, for which he has to pay, and the heavier the tallow and hide for 
which he pays nothing, the greater his profits, and the less those of the 
feeder. 
It is an established fact, well understood by medical men, as also by 
experienced and scientific feeders, that there is a certain pitch, beyond 
which the process of fattening cannot be carried, inasmuch that the sys¬ 
tem or constitution of the animal, or organs of life, will admit of only a 
given quantity of fat or suet, whether deposited in the intestines, or mix¬ 
ed throughout the meat; consequently, the more the beef or flesh is in¬ 
terlarded with fat, the less remains to be attached to the intestines, or 
to add to the weight of what is termed the caul ; and vice veisa. 
It is beyond dispute, that those cattle whose flesh is intermixed, mar¬ 
ble-like, with fat throughout, weigh heaviest when dressed in propor¬ 
tion to the dimensions of the carcass, the beef, owing to that circum¬ 
stance, being full of nutritious matter; on the other hand, those whose 
flesh is void of this beautiful red and white, variegated mixture of fat 
and lean, whose meat cuts up red, and sometimes what is worse, of a 
daik colour, resembling horse-flesh, technically called lyrey, weigh light¬ 
er in the carcass, or quarters when dressed, although they may have a 
larger proportionate weight of caul or gut-fat, or rough tallow, in con¬ 
sequence of the fat being more externally and abstractedly lodged in 
the intestines. 
We will suppose that two oxen, when put up to fatten, weighed 800 
pounds each, beef, hide and tallow included; the one, of that breed 
which was disposed to mix or marble the flesh throughout with fat— 
the ether, one of those whose flesh did not become thus variegated, but 
continued, as before, red, being merely coated on the out and inside 
with a portion of fat. These two beasts shall be stall-fed for six months, 
each having daily the same allowance of food in quantity, kind and 
quality, and in all respects be treated with the same attention. At the 
expiration of the six months, they are sold to a New-York butcher at, 
say $10 per cwt. slaughtered and weighed. Which do you suppose, rea¬ 
der, will give the greatest return to the feeder, for the given quantity of 
provender which each has consumed? The former, unquestionably— 
he will weigh much heavier in the beef, that is, the four quarters, when 
dressed ; he will have a less ratio of gut-fat or rough tallow, and his hide 
will be thinner, and consequently lighter, than his competitor; he will pro- 
bab.y have arrived at the gross weight of 1,300 lbs.—of which aggre¬ 
gate, his beef, when dressed,, will weigh 1,000 lbs.; rough tallow or gut 
fat 200 lbs. hide 100 lbs. The other bullock, we will venture to say, 
will not in toto, come up to 1,200 lbs. in the following proportions: beef, 
when dressed, about 850 lbs.;rough tallow 200 lbs.; hide 110 lbs.; ma¬ 
king a total of 1,160 lbs. Now the city butcher, who pays only for the 
beef, gets, as it were, a clear profit of 200 lbs. of tallow, and 100 of hide, 
upon his payment in the one case of $100—whereas, in the other he ob¬ 
tains the like quantity of tallow with 20 lbs. more of hide, for only $35. 
It is true, he gets in the first case 100 lbs. the most beef, but this is by 
no means equal to $15—the difference in the cost of the two animals, 
equal to 15 per cent, which, at the same time, is the precise difference to 
the feeder, in fattening the one or the other of these distinct breeds. 
But suppose the feeder, in place of selling to a city butcher, is situate 
remote from any large town, and disposes of his cattle for packing or 
barrelling, where the custom is to weigh “all round,” as it is termed, 
taking into the estimate the gross weight of beef, hide and tallow ? The 
same argument here prevails, the aggregate weight of the ox which in¬ 
termixes the flesh and suet being the greatest. The position may ap¬ 
pear to rest upon naked assertion, but it is a theory well known to all 
cattle feeders of experience, that animals of this last description fatten 
most quickly and come to the greatest weight upon a given quantity of 
food. Let the breeder and feeder of cattle bear in mind, that all live 
stock are mere machines, made use of by the husbandman to convert 
provender into money, consequently that which produces the largest 
sum in return for a given quantity of provender expended, is the best. 
Here, then, is the basis upon which the cattle dealer or farmer is to 
rest his choice. 
There are certain rules to be adhered to in this branch of the agri¬ 
culturist’s pursuits, without a strict observance of which, he will waste 
his time and employ his capital to little purpose, at all events will never 
bring his stock to that excellence so much desired, and so easily to be 
attained. Numbers are not so much to be sought after, as a well cho¬ 
sen stock, proportioned to the means of support: a few, well attended 
to, will afford a surer, as well as a greater profit, than a large number 
worse fed, and occasionally neglected; for it is a maxim to be strictly 
observed, that condition gained, ought never to be lost, or even allowed 
in the least to recede. 
In making selection of a breeding stock, there are four qualifications 
to be minutely attended to; these may be considered the four points of 
perfection: 1st. Beauty of form; 2d. Utility of form; 3d. Texture or 
grain of the flesh; 4th. The fattening quality or propensity to become 
fat quickly, and at an early age. 
By beauty of form is meant that symmetry or due proportion 
throughout the frame which constitutes strength, agility and facility of 
movement, which though much to be desired, is not to be sought after 
to the exclusion or interference with what is termed utility of form, 
which the care and discernment of eminent breeders have constituted, 
by improving the principal parts, or prime cuts of the carcass, when of¬ 
fered for sale in the butcher’s stall, both as to quantity and quality, and 
on the same ratio decreasing the coarse and offal parts. 
Texture or grain of the flesh, is the difference between coarse open, 
or lyrey, or black flesh, and fine close grained meat, of a lively bright 
red colour. 
The fattening quality, and the disposition to become quickly fat, and 
at an early age, is an indispensible requisite to the agriculturist; upon 
this qualification his loss or gain, in a great measure, depends; and this, 
so essentially requisite, is innate. ***** 
The writer then sums up the good qualities of the improved short¬ 
horns, in the following brief way:— 
“The short-horned breed have been brought to a degree of perfection, 
surpassing in beauty,utility and profit, all other cattle of the present day 
—yielding a larger supply of milk, feeding to greater weight, having a 
propensity to become fat at an early age, affording fine grained meat, 
beautifully intermixed with fat throughout, having thin hides, carrying 
their greatest weight in the hind quarters, and the choice pieces when 
cut up, yielding a just proportion of tallow; having small bones, with 
fine clean heads and light necks, void of that great coarse gullet and 
dew-lap generally the property of heavy cattle; affordinga less propor¬ 
tion of coarse meat of little value when exposed for sale on the butcher’s 
stall, and less offal, than any other breed.” 
SMOKY CHIMNEYS. 
To all who are acquainted with the nature and properties of elastic 
fluids, it must be obvious, that the whole mystery of curing smoky 
chimneys, consists in finding out and removing the accidental causes 
which prevent the heated smoke from being forced up the Chimney by 
the pressure of the cool or heavier air of the room. These causes are 
various; but that which will be found most commonly to operate is, 
the bad construction of the chimney in the neighborhood of the fireplace. 
“ The great fault,” says Count Rumford, “of all the open fireplaces 
now in common use is, that they are much too large, or rather it is, the 
throat of the chimney, or the lower part of its Open canal, in the neigh¬ 
borhood of the mantle, and immediately over the fire, which is too 
large.” The following is a condensed view of some of the rules given 
on this subject, by this ingenious practical philosopher, and which are 
founded on the principles of science, and on numerous experiments:— 
1. The throat of the chimney should be perpendicularly over the fire-, 
as the smoke and hot vapour which rise from a fire naturally tend up¬ 
wards. By the throat of a chimney is meant the lower extremity of its 
canal, where it unites with the upper part of its open fireplace. 2. The 
nearer the throat of a chimney is to the fire, the stronger will be its 
draught, and the less danger of its smoking; since smoke rises in con¬ 
sequence of its rarefaction by heat, and the heat is greater nearer the 
fire than at a greater distance from it. But the draught of a chimney 
may be too strong, so as to consume the fuel too rapidly; and, therefore, 
a due medium must be fixed upon according to circumstances. 3 That 
four inches is the proper width to be given the throat of a chimney, 
reckoning across from the top of the breast of the chimney, or the in¬ 
side of the mantle to the back of the chimney ; and even in large halls, 
where great fires are kept up, this width should never be increased 
beyond 4J or 5 inches. 4. The width given to the back of the chimney 
should be about one-third of the width of the opening of the fireplace 
in front. In a room of a middling size, thirteen inches is a good size 
for the width of the back, and 3 times 13, or 39 inches, for the width of 
the opening of the fireplace in front. 5. The angle made by the back 
of the fireplace and the sides of it, or covings, should be 135 degrees, 
which is the best position they can have for throwing heat into the 
room. 6. The back of the chimney should always be built perfectly 
upright. 7. Where the throat of the chimney has an end, that is to say, 
