SELLING CATTLE BY LIVE WEIGHT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8965, 3 August 1905, Page 6

SELLING CATTLE BY LIVE WEIGHT.

(From the Canterbury A. and P. Association's Journal.) '! ' It will probably be of interest to farmers ' to draw attention to the advisability of a change in the present system of selling fat beasts in the markets of this country. We are said to be a progressive people in many respects, but we certainly lag behind in xespect to the method in which we dispose of our fat cattle. The system of selling all fat stock by live weight has been established in the United States for many j r ears, and is applied to all kinds of fat stock, and we may depend that the cute Yankee farmer would not readily adopt any custom unices he was convinced that it operated in his favor. The custom is also pretty general in Scotland, and is fast finding favor in England, and being followed at many of the chief cattle markets. A few months ago it was .reported in English papers that the introduction of the saJo of cattle by live weight in the chief stock markets of Yorkshir© had met with a storm of opposition from the principal dealers and butchers, and that, in fact, the latter had gone so far as to boycott the markets in which the innovation had appeared. That is "pretty conclusive evidence that the butchers were of opinion that, the obnoxious system would operate m favor of the farmcT and grazier, and perforce, he de- . trimenial to the interests of the butchers. The introduction of this method of sel-

ling fat stock has scarcely been mooted in Canterbury, and it offers itself as a 'very fitting and pertinent question for discussion at the meetings of Branches of the Farmers' Union, Farmers' Clubs, and wheTever farmers do congregate for the

interchange of ideas concerning mattera of Import to agriculturists. The late Sir J. B. Lawcs was admittedly one of the leading lights in tho progress of agriculture- during the latter half of last century : in both practical and scientific farming he, with the co-operation and assistance of 2slr J. H. Gilbert, showed the patli and led tfce way. Twenty years ago heo£>. pressed himself as being stvonglv^jif^vor of selling stock by live weight," and said fc^wa^ sangujne^sxupvfc to hope that in "I'm great body of farmers would be induced to insist upon the weighing of stock bc-ing substituted for the most un- ■ certain and unbusinesslike process of gues&ing which prevails between buyers and fellers, "a system," he said, "in* the defence of which nothing could be said «xcept that it had always existed." Nobody can deny that our method of dieposing of our fat beasts is both foolish and unbusinesslike, and contrary to the principles that govern all commercial transactions. Because it was in vogue among our forefathers before the invention of weighing machines, is no reason why it 6hou!rl be adhered to in these days of enlightenment and progress. All other products of the faxm are 6old by weight or measure, and there does not appear to be any gcod reason why an exception should be made in the case of one. Butchers are constantly exercising their judgment in estimating the weight of cattle, and are, thi&refore, pretty sure to come out on top in a guessing competition with farmers who only have occasional practice. Few butchers would be rash enough to buy a crop oi standing grain by guessing the yield. In that case an experienced farmer would have much the best chance of «itriving at a correct estimate. Again, what chance would a shopkeeper have against a farmer or drovpT in guessing the number cf sheep in a large mob ? This is putting lather an extreme case-, because the ■townman would be quite a novice, while most -farmers have some experience in

the weight of a live beast. MMHjMMbe live weight -is ascertained by weighbridge, there is still of uncertainty in arriving at of dressed meat, but it is to have a certain basis of eight to go upon than to have to pPorst giiess the one and then the other. It is true that the weight of cattle can be roughly ascertained by taking certain, measurements of the body, but that is not at all a satisfactory method. Some of us can remember when grain was sold by the bushel measure only ; the bushel was filled with grain and the top smoothed off with a. stick, pnd the buyer and 6eller liad to decide upon the value per bushel according to their opinion as to the quality. Now that we have an Imperial Standard weight, both parties to a bargain have an unfailing basis upon which to negotiate, the price being determined, in accordance with current values, by me colon and variety of the grain. If both the farmer and the buyer of beef were on tins same footing^ there would not be so much'-to be 6aid in favor of the weighing, but enough has been set down to prove that they are not, in the majority of cases, on an .equal footing, and, therefore, the least competent is bound to be at some , disadvantage. The more advanced students ai. the Lincoln College attend the sales, aoid are expected to state the price each fat- bullock should make. All the certain data they have is the current value of beef per 10011s. They have fiYst to estimate the live weight, and that is, no doubt, th^most difficult problem. Some oTtherj, perhaps, bring their knowledge of algebra into play, and-e n y 3ft x equal the weight, and endeavor to arrive at the unknown quantity in that way. Having formed their estimate of the live weight, they huve then to test their judgment in quality and primeness, and fix the percentage of meat. Their final estimate of tho yaJue is probably pretty wide of the mark in nvc-st cases, owing to their difficulty in guessing the live weight. They will* of oour&e, improve with practice m this respect, but if the actual live weight was given them, they would only require to ffc the percentage of dressed weight a-nd that does not require so much experience. Well br-ed cattle of same breed differ very little- in the percentage of beef, though there is a. difference in this respect in different breeds. Full-grown bullocks give a greater proportion of beef to carcase tfean one of four years of the same breed and prime finish. ' Some years ago a series of experimental trifdh were made in England on about three hundred fat animals. The average < ~*esulte turned out as follows: — The dressed

-cent-. 01 live weight; of sheep SS.Z of iivi -weighty of pig 82.6. A rough and read; Way" -of estimating the dressed weight o ah ordinary fat bullock, the Jive weigh being known, is to allow four sevenths a: bw?f and three-sevenths as offa'. Foe ex amj>]©, a ripe bullock whose Jive weigh is lOCQibs., w,ould give a. dressed weigh of 5721b5. ; of MOOlbs., 8001bs. Thesi weights apply when the beast has faste< iwwit.y-foiir hours before being weighed The Late Sir J. B. Lawes, said tha "Wh&n the commercial interest conies ii oa one side, as when the butcher pur chases fat stock, it is so obvious' y his in •ierest to adhere to the existing arrange meitf. that v is quite certain he will oppcei in i?very way lie can the introduction o - * any change. Long experience has taugh y him hcw^iHuch beef he is likely to hav< „■- from •, any" itnwei «hcd live animal, whil< : .the urJviHunate farmer, who knows mud .^ less about, the weight of .his animal, ;s; s un rifaq-ly^'-handicapped, in the transaction. I' can again

pointed to enquire into this question, and , t reported favorably upon the adoption of j the new system, and Sir John prepared an | elaborate and exrollent hand-book of computing tables which was published by the Hoyat Agricultural Society of England. This handbook supplied a key to the i farmer in estimating the value of his fat j boasts, using the standard proportions of dressed meat to live-weight as given by the weighbridge. An American writer, noting the characteristic s^wnese of tho : ' British farmer to tako advantage of the new mot hod, said that "Britishers are still floundering through the difficulties of tho introduction, of selling cattle by weight, simple as it. seems to the American mind. ' "At a certain Christmas market in London," he said, "cattle to the value of 650,000 dollars, changed hands on. tho guess-work plt\n — a plan by which the . British farmers and graziers are undoubtedly Tobbed by tho cute dealers and butchers."