The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-10
GUESSING AT DEAD WEIGHTS.
Skill Shown by English Farmers al
 Fairs and Markets.

Among farmers and agriculturists generally in the north of England, what Is known as "dead weight guess- ing" Is a very popular form of compe- tition, and at the various fairs and markets marvellous examples of accu- racy are forthcoming.
 Perhaps in the county of Cumberland they enjoy greater amount of popu- larity than anywhere else, and beyond question nowhere is more striking Judgment displayed. Only the other day a really remarkable instance of this was reported from Silloth. In common with other visitors, T. Ather- ton was invited at the show there to guess the dead weigth of fat beast on exhibition. After scrutinizing the anil maj, MT Atherton expressed his opin- ion that the weight would be found to be fortythree stone and eleven pounds, When recourse was had to the arbitrament of the scales the foregoing figures proved to be absolutely correct. On another occasion at Skelton, in the | same county, there was a still more noteworthy demonstration of skill, a | couple of expert competitors succeed Ing In guessing the exact weight of a beast.
 But the place of honor ought per- haps to be awarded to a lady, who at a still more recent show successfully judged the weight of heifer even to the last half-pound. The lady who has this performance to her credit is Miss Jeannie Armstrong, who at show a few days ago at Haltwhistle estimated the weight of ponderous heifer at forty-five stone ten and one-half pounds. The beast turned the scale at exactly these figures
 In point of accuracy not far behind was competitor dn the block test guessing competitions held at Wigton (Cumberland) agricultural show. In this case, however, the animal whose weight had to be guessed with a sheep much easier subject for such an esti- mate. One forecast of it's weight was eighty-two and one-half pounds, which turned out to be absolutely correct. This guess was made by Percy Strong of Drumicaning, but how close the es- inmates were may be gathered from the fact that three other competitors were only half-pound out.
 At the same show there was some excellent guessing at the dead weight of huge bullock which won the admi- ration of the visitors. The actual weight of this bovine monster proved to be no less than fifty stone thirteen pounds. Quite number of persons had shot at this competition, the win ners being J, Threlkeld of Wampool and J, Wills of Greenspot, both of whose guesses were fifty stone twelve pounds. The forecasts of three other competitors, namely, w. Graham of Wigton, J. Spedding of Dockray and John Turnbull of Cleator were only a trifle of three pounds out of the actual weight.
 But for really sensational display of expert weight guessing we must turn back to the records of last years agricultural show at Aspatria. The subject was a shorthorn COW, whose weight when killed a few days after ward was certified to be forty-three stone two pounds By an extraordlna- ny coincidence there were among the competitors no fewer than four whose guesses were found to be exactly these figures.
 As set-off to their accurate fore casts, however, there were large number which proved to be very wire of the mark. One of the competitors was, indeed, upward of sixteen stone out, his guess running up to the high figure of flfty-nine stone seven pounds. On the other hand, yet another compe- titor made quite ridiculous underes- timate, he placing the dead weight of the shorthorn at nearly nine stone less than 1t actually proved to be.
 Powdered codhsh is sometimes used In Iceland to make bread in place of fiour.-Tid Bits.