442 The Supply of Meat to Large Toivns. 



to purchase hides, skins, fat, &c., so as to some extent to relieve 

 the graziers ; but the amount of business done woukl wholly 

 depend upon the prices offered by local tanners and tallow- 

 melters. The quotation for rough or internal fat, in the metro- 

 polis, is '2s. 2d. per 8 lbs. Obviously, after deducting the expense 

 of carriage, &c., say for 200 miles and upwards, the grazier 

 would not receive back more than \s. 2d. per 8 lbs., instead of 

 the full value, which he would be allowed when the animal was 

 disposed of alive. 



It may be well here to explain the great difference frequently, 

 nay, almost invariably, observed between the prices realised for 

 live stock and dead meat in London. In Newgate and Leaden- 

 hall beef sells at from 6f/. to 8(f. ; mutton, Wd. to \s. 2d. ; lamb, 

 lOf/. to \s. Ad. ; veal, 8d. to Is. ; and pork 2d. per 8 lbs. beneath 

 the quotations for live stock in the great metropolitan cattle- 

 market. The wide difference in mutton may be thus explained. 

 The lowest price for mutton refers to shorn sheep at the com- 

 mencement of each season. After that period the value of the 

 offal — in which, of course, the skin is included — increases until 

 the full growth of wool has been obtained. If we assume a 

 bullock to weigh, when dead, 100 stones, and if we take the 

 difference at the lowest figure, Qd. per 8 lbs., we find that the 

 sum to set against the offal is 21. 10s., without taking into 

 account charges and profits. 



The attempt recently made to sell live stock by public auction 

 in the cattle-market has, as yet, been otherwise than successful. 

 This may have arisen from the amount of suspicion existing 

 amongst the butchers as to the hojid fide chai-acter of the bid- 

 dings. It is well known that jobbers travel the country to buy 

 up fat stock for transmission to London, many of them sending 

 forward as many as 200 beasts in one week. These dealings 

 are, of course, attended with great risk, according as trade is 

 active or dull. A joliber may, perhaps, feel disposed to offer his 

 stock by public sale ; but the butchers have no guarantee that 

 the beasts have in reality changed hands after having passed the 

 hammer. In support of the system of sales by auction, an attack 

 has, we perceive, been made upon the honour and integrity of 

 the cattle-salesmen in London. This is to be regretted, because 

 the charge of unfair dealing has been made without any real 

 foundation. Their charges, at all events, are moderate. The 

 toll paid per head for beasts is 3^r/. ; the charge for driving, 

 tieing, and commission added to this makes up about 4^. Gcf. per 

 head. The cost for conveyance by railway has further to be 

 taken into account ; but the grazier is in a position to have his 

 beasts sold, all charges included, for about 20s. per head on the 

 average. The amount is trifling in comparison with the great 



