CATTLE WEIGHTS AT SMITHFIELD.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 46, 10 February 1894, Page 3

CATTLE WEIGHTS AT SMITHFIELD.

A few examples of the age and weights of some of the winners .at the Smithfield Fat Stock Show held last Christmas will be interesting to Colonial breeders. Among shorthorns, in the class of steers not exceeding two years old, the Queen’s first prize steer-, aged one year eleven months and three weeks, weighed 14cwt. 91b. (live weight). The weekly average increase of weight in this animal from birth to show entry, being about 1541 b., bears favourable comparison with that of another of Her Majesty’s prize-winners, Prince Charlie, weighing 204 cwt. at the age of three years six months and two weeks, or a weekly average gain of 1241 b. A report of the show in a home paper says : —“ This grand beast -was so symmetrical that it not only took first prize in the class for shorthorn steers above three and not exceeding four years, beating Mr J. W. Rowland's huge second prize steer, weighing 22cwt. 2qr. ISlb., and Lord Tredegar’s third prize beast, weighing 20cwt. 3qr. 21b., but it was awarded the breed cup, the £SO cup, as best male among the cattle, and the reserve ticket for the championship.. A marvellous sight were these three magnificient animals, each of them over a ton live weight; but apart from prize - winning, and regarded strictly from a commercial point of view, the younger steer beais away the palm from all of them.” The contest fcr the championship lay between Prince Charlie and Mr J. D. Fletcher’s polled Aberdeen - Angus heifer, Pride of the Highlands, two years and 11 months old, and weighing 17cwt. 2 qr. “So excellent were both of them,” says the same report, “ that it was only after the most deliberate inspection and discussion of every point, that the judges decided in favour of the Pride of the Highlands, which was also first in its class, and winner of the breed cup.” Here,

again (remarks the Australasian) it is evident the judges were not influenced by mere weight. Excellent examples of early maturity were, there in other breeds, as, for instance* Mr T. H. Risdon’s first prize Devon steer, one year 11 months two weeka. old, weighing 11cwt. ; Loi’d Coventry’s first prize Hereford steer, one j'ear seven months old, weighing llcwt. 251 b; Mr J. Glodman’s first prize Sussex steer, one year ten months 3 weeks old, weighing 12cwt. 261 b. ; Mr R. Turner’s first prize polled Aberdeen-Angus steer, one year 10 months old, weighing 1 lewt. 2qr. 21b. ; and a crossbred steer, for which Mr John Ross had first prize, a very compact polled beast, black and white in colour, with AberdeenAngus blood largely predominant, one year eight months one week old, weighing 12cwt. Iqr. 121 b. All of' them were in the classes of their respective breeds for steers not exceeding two years. One of the most handsome beasts in the show was Mr John Worthy's first prize Hereford, in the class for steers not exceeding three years old. It was two years seven months old, and weighed IGcwt 261 b., gaining also the breed cup. Veiy handsome, too, was the Queen’s first prize Hereford heifer, weighing 12cwt.. at the age of two years seven months. Mr It. Edwards’s second prize heifer, a month younger than Ider Majesty’s, weighed nearly 2cwt. more ; and the heaviest shorthorn had no mean rival in Mr F. Platt’s Hereford steer, weighing 1 20cwt. 2qr. 241 b. at the age of three years 10 months.