SMITHFIELD "BLOCK TESTS."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 8

SMITHFIELD "BLOCK TESTS."

:;' •;; ;vv!eight4ni> food> consumptioM ;iW]iat?are;known"as the :''bibck tests" ■ ,fat,'stock 'show ,;, leads.-the London J'Times'.'.to devote ' - ; soine, space;.to the question of, weights : .consumption... Says.a• writer 'ji 1 regard to tho tests :- : .One Of .the chief facts disclosed is that .. the.;returh .in:live -weight-for/the: food . consumed-; diminishesVas the animal ad-! ■'. vances-.iirage:'. For,example, a bullock. ;.'.',■■ under.jtwo years: old; that does not' show ;•.:'.-.-.'a,'record- of. at' least: 2lbi" added \ re] vj lt ■'- per. day: may'.be regarded.as' disappoint- I '■' '"fii "»ut' only: .an : . exceptional animal .will ,inaintain.'this- rate;-of-.'progress . during, the'.third '-year.'- .The-same -re-1 marks apply in, the 'cases'-of sheep and ;. pigs, that is, that the older the.animal i ". '$e , s ' 6 ) v .ei''the . rate,',. of..', .increase ■-'■ in ..;;, weight..' The reason is'.-'riot' far. to'seek'. '. The young' animal is;'growing,as. veil , as; fattening,,and lis, adding to weight ;',,■:-. of. bone,' hide,, and tissue, as well 'as '". developing meat: therefore, asthe gross ;.■:■ gam is larger,, the young stock are the ■:.'.'■ more profitable to fatten. .There.is an- '..!':■ • °t ner side to the relative merits 'of youhgahd mature fattening stock, and' that; affects the butcher chiefly. "i'he :.'.-." particulars concerning the carcasses of the cattle exhibited at the recent Smith- ■ field show reveal the ■■ interesting : fact that those over .two' years old on fho> average yielded a higher percentage of : carcass to live weight than those under that age. This-confirms., what has just .. been, said, that a large proportion of . the increased weight in animals of immature age is in the form of offal—a result which it is reasonable to expect.'' -Mr. Hugh'Campbell: has leased his Opaki property 0f.'1300 acres to Mr. Chasi.Lang,'late of Bideford. The whole . .of the. stock, depasturing oir the . pro"perty has also been-purchased by Mr. Lang.