

FOOD IN THE UNITED STATES. 53 



any country on the earth. The slaves of the southern states are more 

 abundantly furnished with food than the mass of the population in 

 Europe, and even luxuriously," says Dr. Bell, compared with a 

 lar^e proportion of the operatives of Great Britain." They have a 

 full supply of animal food, usually bacon or salt pork and fish with 

 corn bread, to which is added rice and the common and sweet potato. 

 In Virginia and the west, fresh meat is frequently given them. Gen- 

 erally each is allowed apiece of ground for a garden, where they raise 

 vegetables and fruits for themselves and often for their masters, who 

 pay them a fair price for these products. They have also poultry and 

 eyus which they generally sell either to their master's family or at 

 neighboring villages, and with the proceeds purchase groceries or some 

 articles of luxury, either of food or dress. The house slaves are gen- 

 erally furnished with the food of their master's family. 



It will ha.ve been seen from the products of the grain-, potatoes, &c, 

 that the people of our country are in fact over-fed, nor is vegetable 

 aliment more superabundant than animal food. The mechanic and 

 the laborer in this country eat meat more frequently and of a better 

 quality than do large land proprietors in the south of Europe. Pork 

 and beef are the chief animal food throughout the country; and this 

 is variously prepared. Poultry and the products of the dairy constitute 

 also a prominent part of the food of the people. The estimated value 

 of Poultry in the United States, in 1840, was $9,344,410. 



In Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennesse alone, were raised in 1840, six 

 millions of swine ; in New York two, and in Pennsylvania \\ million, 

 and in the States collectively, 26,301,293. It may be estimated, Mr. 

 Elsworth thinks, that the increase since, cannot be less than 5 per cent, 

 and that therefore the present number exceeds 30 millions. If these 

 average 300 Ibs. each, the amount of pork, lard, bacon, etc., is annually 

 9.000 million Ibs. The hams, at, say 20 Ibs. each, give, with loss of 

 one-third in curing, 800 million Ibs. of bacon, and the lard, at 60 per 

 cent., if the balance be tried up, would be 4.680 million Ibs. This 

 would give, at 8 Ibs. of lard for a gallon, 585 million gallons of oil. 

 But if half the swine be thus taken, the oil would be 292 million gals, 

 or 25 times as much as all the sperm and whale oil annually brought 

 into the country. The value of the oil and stearin, at 50 cents per gal. 

 and the hams at 6 cents per lb., would be $170.250.000, or about dou- 

 ble the value of all our exports. An increase of 1 cent per lb. would 

 add 30 million dollars to the value. Swine are raised at the West at 

 comparatively little expense. 



The neat cattle in the United States numbered in 1840, 14.971.586, 

 and now, by an increase of 5 per cent, per annum, 17.217.3^3 ; while 

 in Germany, with 30 millions, and in France with 33 millions of peo- 

 ple, there are not half this number and only one-eight of the number 

 of swine. The sheep in the United States are estimated at 25 millions, 

 5* 



