METHOD OF ASCERTAINING THE WEIGHT OF CATTLE WHILE LIVING.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1099, 10 July 1879, Page 2

METHOD OF ASCERTAINING THE WEIGHT OF CATTLE WHILE LIVING.

Inexperienced judges by the eye will, by following these directions, ascertain the weight within a trifle. Take a string, put it round tho beast, stauding square, jus. behind the shoulder blade; measure on a foot rule the feet and inches the animal is m circumference * this is called the o-irth. Then with the string measure from the bone of the tail which plumbs the line of the tail with the hinder part of the bullock * diivct the line along the •back to the forepart of the shoulder blade ; take the dimensions on the part of the foot-rule, as before, which is th. length, and work the figures m the following manner : — Girth ot the bullock, 6ft 3in ; length, sft 3in • which, multiplied together, make 34 square superficial feet. That again multiplied by 23 (the number of pounds allowed to each superficial foot of all cattle measuring- less than 7ft m girt!*) making 7131b5; and allowing 14lb to the stone is 50stones 13lb. Where the animal measures less than 9ft and more thau 7ft m girth, 31 is the number of pounds of each superficial foot. Again, suppose a pig or any other small beast should measure two feet along the back, and two feet m girth, which multiplied together makes four square feet; that multiplied by 11, the number of pounds allowed for each square foot of cattle measuring less than three feetin girth, makes 441 b ; which divided by 14 to bring it into stones, is three stones two pounds. Again, suppose a cnlf, sheep, &c„ should measure 4ft. Gin. m ,4-irth, and 3ft 9in. m length, which multiplied together make 16| square feet ; that multiplied by 16, the number of pounds allowed to all cattle measuring* less than sft and more than 3ft. m girth makes .204 pound?, which divided by 14 to bring it to stones is eighteen stones ttoelve pounds. Tne dimensions of the girth and length of back of cattle, sbeep, calves, or hogs, may be as exactly taken this way as is at all necessary for any computation or valuation of stock, and will answer to the four quarters, sinking the offal. A deduction must be mado for a ; half-fatted beast of one stone iv twenty from that of a fat one * aud for a cow that has had calves, one stone must be allowed, and another for not being properly fat.—* Canterbury PiessA