20S

ON THE LIVE-STOCK

of acres required for the production of beef and labour com-bined : the second, for the production of beef alone; and thethird, for that of labour when performed by horses,

1. Beef and labour.

1. The first consideration is the number of acres requiredfor the maintenance and fattening of four oxen kept to theage of seven years, put to work at three and a half, worked

till six and a half, and then fattened.

Four oxen at three and a half years old for grass and tur-nips, four and a half acres each, or - 18

Ditto working till six and a half ditto, 134 acres forthree years, - 404-

Ditto turnips for fattening, - - - 3

Total, 61-4

Besides straw, for which no charge is made.

2. The weight of these oxen when fat, may be averaged,from considering the weight of oxen bred on good arableland, and fattened at three and four years old. At the formerage, it has been stated in Mr Mason’s letter, formerly quoted,that the average weight of the short-horned breed may be 65stones; it certainly will not therefore be too high to ratesuch oxen as are fit for work, at 60 stones, when four yearsold, to which must be added 15 stones gained during threeyears’ work ; but allow the increase of weight to be 20 stones,each of these oxen weighing 80 stones at seven years’ old,the beef produced from 61 \ acres is in all 320 stones, or5.203 stones per acre.

2. Beef.

This number of acres is employed in producing beef and la-bour jointly. It is necessary to separate these two articles,and, in the first place, to ascertain what proportion of this landwould give the above-mentioned weight of beef if the cattle,instead of being worked, had been fattened at three or rather