No. 112.1 287 



There are many things wliich affect the color of meats newly 

 slaughtered. As already stated, if an animal is killed soon after 

 violent exercise, the meat will be dark colored, because the blood 

 is driven to the surface by exertion, and only subsides to the inte 

 rior by rest arid coolness. Such meat will not keep well, because 

 blood putrefies quicker than any otlier part of the animal. Pick- 

 ling would very likely take out this extra blood, and then the 

 color and quality of it would be right. Eut for immediate use, 

 especially in hot weather, all animals ought to be slaughtered 

 after rest. The color of moderately fed beef, especially that fed 

 on grass, will be lighter than that highly fed or fattened on corn, 

 fhe tallow of the latter, will, on the other hand, be yellow, and 

 the color will be more particularly visible in the tallow ; and this 

 will be especially the case, if after high feed, some days of fasting 

 be allowed to follow. The reason, perhaps, is, that stimulating 

 food, such as corn, provokes a generous flow of the bile, which 

 colors the meat more or less, and in the case of the suspension of 

 food, this flow of bile would act still more effectively, since there 

 would be nothing to absorb and carry it oft'. How far the color 

 of corn itself wall affect tb.e meat, we are not prepared to say. 



The following article is copied from the instructions to the 

 master butchers, as given at the oflice of the Comptroller of the 

 Victualling Offxe of the British navy. For the copy I am in- 

 debted to the kindness of the Comptroller, Thos. Grant, Esq. 



Mode of curing oxen and hogs^ slaughtered in the establishment at 



DejJford. 



1. They arfe to be kept upon the premises and fed upon straw 

 or hay for the periods mentioned in the following schidale, ac- 

 cording to the time ui' their arrival at Deptford, in order to give 

 time for them to cool, when they are to be killed and hung up 

 in the slaughter-house twenty-f )ur liours before they are cut up; 

 at the expiration of that lime tlie four quarters of eacli are to be 

 weighed, and an account taken of the quantity thereof by one of 

 the storekeeper's clerks. The marrow bones are to be taken out 

 as clear of meat as possible, and the legs and shins cut off at the 

 joint, or proper place, fur which IG lbs. in eacli are to be allowed. 

 The remainder of each cwt. is to be cojicidered^ as weighing 96 



