state Dairy Association. 61 



inedible and of use only for the manufacture of leather or fertili- 

 zers. On this basis there would need to be deducted 41 pounds 

 from the total of 386 pounds of dry matter, leaving a total of 345 

 pounds of edible material produced by the steer, compared with 

 840 pounds produced by the cow. 



There is yet a difference to be considered: 



The fat produced by the cow is the most digestible of all the 

 animal fats. The sugar in milk is perhaps the most easily di- 

 gested and assimilated of all sugars, and is assumed to be all avail- 

 able when used as food. In the case of casein and albumen, it is 

 practically completely digestible, and the same is true of the ash. 

 Therefore, not only is the edible material produced by the cow 

 more than two and a half times as large in amount as that of the 

 steer, but it is a significant fact that practically all of this is di- 

 gestible and easily assimilated by people of all years, from youth 

 to old age. 



In the case, however, of the production of the steer, there is 

 a further waste. For when the animal is slaughtered the butcher 

 is compelled to trim the carcass of its excess fat or tallow. In 

 the average case this green tallow is not worth as much per pound 

 as he has paid for the steer alive. This tallow has perhans cost 

 the feeder ten cents or twelve cents a pound to make, and it has a 

 value when sold as such, and not attached to a steak or roast, of 

 perhaps less than four cents. Furthermore, when the butcher di- 

 vides this carcass into steaks and roasts, the customer is constantly 

 insisting upon having the excess tallow trimmed off before it is 

 weighed. All of this tallow must, like that which was trimmed 

 from the carcass when the animal was killed, go into the tub as 

 low-priced material. Furthermore, when the steak or roast is 

 cooked, a considerable portion of the fat is fried or stewed out, 

 and this is likely to be poured into the garbage can or the sewer. 

 Then, when the meat comes to the table, the first protest from 

 the children is against being given too much fat. The portion of 

 the steak or roast that is left uneaten is the fat, and this is es- 

 sentially wasted or fed to the dog, the chickens or the pigs. 



Thus, this high grade material — that is, material that is most 

 expensive of all animal products to make, is really of least prac- 

 tical use for human consumption, because it, unlike butterfat, is 

 of itself not especially palatable. 



In New York City so much fat is poured into the sewers that 

 recently the city authorities set about to recover it, and millions 

 of pounds are thus taken from the sewerage and sold at a low 



