THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



293 



But this is uot all : we must now state the less palpable 

 profits which accrue to this return of 2 francs 3i cents., 

 namely — 



Ist, The coarse meat imposeJ upon the purchaser, in spile 

 of the regulations of the Prefecture of Police, amountiug to 

 one-fourth, and more frequently to one-third of the weight; 

 say 40 cents, per kilogramme. 



2nd. The substitutions of one class for another, or the 

 deviation of the general amount from the clasaes, 40 cents, per 

 kilogramme. 



3rd. The sale to the tallow-melter of the fat from the 

 carcase (about 15 kilogrammes perbeast]^; of the loose fat 

 and skin, charged according to custom, at the price of the meat 

 (1 tranc 98 cents, per kilogramme),'and thrown into the basket, 

 then sold a second time (about 10 kilogrammes, at 1 franc 20 

 cents, per kilogramme). Total, 25 kilogrammes. Making a 

 profit, on an average, of 49 francs 80 cents, per beast, or 1 

 franc 45 cents, per kilogramme. 



4th. The sale of 20 kilogrammes of bone allowed to the 

 butcher upon each bullock, and reckoned by the Prefecture of 

 Police at 20 cents, per kilogramme, and which they sell at the 

 price of meat (1 franc 98 cents). 



5th. The kidueys and false-chines, the normal weight of 

 which is 20 kilogrammes ; to which must be added 20 other 

 kilogrammes, taken from the first, second, and third classes.* 

 The whole sold at 3 francs per kilogramme. 



6th, and above all, we must reckon the skill with which 

 the meat is managed, so that there never remains a mor- 

 sel for the fourth class, and but little in the third ; by 

 which it is estimated that they gain 1 franc per kilogramme 

 on the fourth class. 



Now, there is still the substitution of cow beef for that of ox ; 

 the difference in the price being from 48 to 50 cents. All the 

 butchers kill cows, of which, on an average, 25,000 per annum 

 are killed in Paris ; and they are right in doing so, for that 

 meat, although we say it, is aa good, and often as fine, as that 

 of ox beef, depending on the quality and health of the animal. 

 We never, however, find any cow beef amongst the butchers ; 

 they scout, as an insult, the inquiry for it. The reason is, 

 that cow beef is transformed into ox beef as soon as it ap- 

 pears upon the stall, and this fraudulent substitution consti- 

 tutes an average net profit of 149 francs 54 cents per cow (or 

 £6 4s. 2d.) on all that are killed. 



With all these enormous profits, what are the expenses to 

 be deducted ? They are as follows : — 



fr. c. m. 



The C03t price 1 40 



The municipal duties 12 34 



The expenses of the stall 8 50 



1 60 84 



These results are so important, that the skill of the butchers 

 has been exercised successfully to conceal them up to the pre- 

 sent time. It is high time to give a complete statement of 

 them ; for the profits accruing from them ought to be shared 

 by the graziers, who, up to the present time, have been simple 

 enough not to lay any claim to this fifth quarter (cinquieme 

 i^uartier), which nevertheless amounts to 126 fr. 90 c. per 

 head, or 36 c. 78 m. per kilo., upon 345 kilos, of ox beef; 

 75 fr. 90 c. per cow, or 3 c. 45 m. per kilo., on 220 kilos, of net 

 meat; 29 fr. 30 c. per calf, or 45 c. per kilo., on 68 kilos, net 

 meat; and llfr. 60 c. per sheep, or 64 c, per kilo., on 18 kilos, 

 of net meat. 



This mysterious fifth quarter does not amount to less than 

 from 18 to 20 millions of francs profit per annum to the 

 Parisian butchers alone. Judge then of its importance to the 

 grazier ! 



The calculations which attribute an average profit of 34 

 cents, per kilo. (S^d. nearly) as the result of this fifth quarter, 

 are based upon the average of 1856. Those of 1857 are 

 higher, and exhibit an increase of 22 fr. 10 c. per ox, 14 fr. 

 95 c. per cow, 6 fr. 33 c. per calf, and 2 fr. 22 c. per sheep. 

 They consequently increase proportionally the profit, estimated 

 too low at 34 c. per kilo, raising it 36c. 78 m. for ox beef, 

 34 c. 5 m. for cow beef, 45 c. for veal, and 64 c. for mutton. 



In order to complete this useful information for the graziers. 



• By (he law in France, the butchers are bound to divide ihoir 

 meat into four classes, and sell it, according to the quality, at a 

 (Kittain price, fixed by the Prefecture of Police.— [Translator.] 



we give the prices in the actual returns of the several parts of 

 this calculation. 



fr. c. 



Ox Beef — The skiu, average weight 47^ kilos 58 90 



Tallow and fat „ „ 50 kilos 56 



Offal (lights, liver, spleen, brain, tongue, gall, 



and paunch) 12 



Total 126 90 



Cow Beef. — Skin, average weight 35 kilos 45 50 



Tallow „ „ 20 kilos 22 40 



OiTal (as before) 8 



Total 75 90 



Calf. — Skin, average weight 7i kilos 16 50 



Tallow „ „ 4 kilos 4 80 



OiTal (head, tongue, brain, sweetbread, pluck, 



and stomach) 8 



Total 29 30 



Sheep. — Skin in the wool, mean value. 6 



Tallow, average weight 3 kilos 3 60 



Offal (head, tongue, brains, feet, kidneys, and 



stomach) 2 



Total 11 60 



All these figures are taken from authentic sources. Let us 

 consider what an enormous bearing they have upon produc- 

 tion. We would wish that in this point of view it may attract 

 serious attention ; and that, when once delivered from the 

 monopoly, means may be found to make the butchers pay for 

 all those parts which have a value as high and real as the meat 

 sold to them. 



Let us now see what influence the price of meat has upon 

 consumption, and especially on the qualities consumed. An 

 English work, " The Night Side of London," has published 

 some very interesting statistical documents on the consump- 

 tion of London. There are eaten in that city annually 277,000 

 oxen, 30,000 calves, 1,800,000 sheep, 35,000 pigs, &c. On 

 this statement M. E.Blanc makes the following reflections : — 



" If we refer to the consumption of Paris, we find that that 

 annual average consumption, for a population which amounts 

 to only half that of London, is 88,000 oxen (only one-third of 

 the consumption of London), 77,000 to 80,000 calves (nearly 

 two-thirds more than are consumed in Loudon), and from 

 20,000 to 25/)00 cows, &c. 



" Now, reducing these classes to kilogrammes, we find the 

 following differences between the alimentary conditions of the 

 two capitals: — 



" The 277,000 oxen of London, superior in weight to those 

 of the French oxen, and weighing in net meat a minimum of 

 400 kilos., allow for the 2,360,000 inhabitants of that city 

 47 kilos, per head ; and the 30,000 calves, a food destitute of 

 all nutritive qualities, 86 grammes only. 



" The 88,000 oxen of Paris, on the contrary, weighing on 

 an average 345 kilos., allow to the 1,200,000 inhabitants of 

 that city only 25 kilos. 300 i<r. per head ; and the 77,000 calves 

 5 kilos. ; which makes a difference in favour of the population 

 of London of 24 kilos. 70 gr. of beef per head, and a difference in 

 favour of the population of Paris of 4 kilos. 14 gr. of veal — the 

 former being sut)sta7itial, and the latter unsubstantial food. 



" These statements explain why the work of which we 

 speak thinks itself authorized to say, that ' London is the city 

 ill the world where thtij live the lonriest. In ten years the 

 average of deaths has been '?,j per thousand ; and in 1856 thai 

 proportion was reduced to 22 per thousand.' 



" If, in order to complete the comparison, we consult the 

 mortuary statistics of Paris, we fiud in them, by the state- 

 ments of the English work, a sad contrast in the constant 

 progression in the deaths, the average of which was, in 1831 

 to 1810, 26 per thousand; in 1841 to 1850, 28^ per thousand; 

 and in 1851 to 1855, 31^^ per thousand. 



" Perhaps the price of meat at these different periods will 

 explain to us the cause of this deplorable mortuary pro- 

 gression. " 



" From 1831 to 1840 meat Bold at the stall from CO to GQ 



