MEAT. 



MEAT. 



quantity of real nutritive matter received into 

 the stomach, when a meal of plain meat and 

 vegetables has been eaten : it is not practicable 

 to come to any conclusion when made dishes 

 are used. It is a subject of interest, and par- 

 ticularly so to the inhabitants of the British 

 Isles, who are said by foreigners to make 

 use of more animal food than is necessary or 

 wholesome. 



In order, then, to equalize the animal and 

 vegetable matter, and to increase the total 

 quantity, the ratio should be 8$ oz. of boiled 

 mutton, 10 oz. of potato, and the same of tur- 

 nip ; the total amount of food swallowed will 

 be 23$ oz., but the quantity of real nutriment 

 will be but 6 oz., half being animal and half 

 vegetable matter. This is certainly a sufficient 

 meal for most persons who have but little labo- 

 rious occupation ; for, if a pint of liquid be 

 drunk at the same time, the load on the stomach 

 will weigh 3 lb.; and this will be increased to 

 4 lb. if a pint of wine be swallowed. Now, 

 the difference between 8$ oz. of boiled meat 

 and 10 oz. appears very trivial ; but, if the 

 greater of the two quantities be persevered in 

 regularly every day for the term of a man's 

 adult life of half a century, it may excite a 

 little surprise in the person who practises it, 

 to learn that he will have consumed a flock of 

 sheep, consisting of about fifty-three head, in 

 excess above what he ought to have made use 

 of. In a life of sixty-five years, allowing 8 oz. 

 per day for fifty years, two-thirds of that quan- 

 tity for ten years, and 3 oz. a day for three 

 years of childhood, the total animal food 

 amounts to 350 sheep. If to this be added the 

 excess above mentioned, the number of sheep, 

 the cooked meat of which is devoured by one 

 man during a life of sixty-five years, is about 

 400 ; along with 5 tons of potatoes, about the 

 same of turnips or other vegetables, 9 tons' 

 weight of common drink, and 6 tons' weight 

 of wine, at 1 pint per day for three years 

 only : thus, for dinner alone, above 30 tons' 

 weight of solids and liquids must have passed 

 through the stomach. Inordinate work will 

 wear out any machinery before its time, espe- 

 cially if the work performed be of a peculiar 

 wearing character. Whether it is advisable to 

 add the fifty-three unnecessary sheep to one's 

 dinner, is a question which every reader will 

 answer to himself as he thinks proper. The 

 food of old Parr, who died at 153 years of age, 

 consisted of cheese, coarse bread, milk, and 

 small beer. Would it have made no difference 

 in the duration of his life if he had swallowed 

 1050 sheep ! for about this number would have 

 been his share at the usual rate, along with 

 his twenty tons of wine. It may assist in 

 drawing a conclusion, to recollect that when 

 he was brought to London, and lived in splen- 

 dour, " fed high, and drank plentifully of the 

 best wines," he soon died : and his death was 

 generally attributed to that cause, for he had 

 vigour of body " to have lived a good while 

 longer," as the reporter says. (Lardner's Ency.) 



1. Selection of Cattle and Beef. In the selec- 

 tion of cattle to be sent alive to market, they 

 should invariably possess fine symmetry and 

 small bone, carrying the greatest weight of 

 beef on the most valuable points, such as 

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rumps, loins, and crops ; the back well covered, 

 the buttocks and flanks well filled up, and the 

 whole carcass exhibiting a fulness of flesh, ex- 

 cepting the necks and coarser parts. They 

 should handle hard and firm, in order to stand 

 well the voyage, and handle and look well in 

 the market. Firm handlers, whether heifers 

 or oxen, always cut well up. A good coat of 

 hair, too, is of great use in a sea-voyage on 

 deck, and also in enabling cattle to stand the 

 vicissitudes of weather in the markets, and it 

 enables them to be turned out in safety, in, 

 case they should not be disposed of on the first 

 market-day. Thin-coated cattle always look 

 tender, and are, in fact, so under any circum- 

 stances. Cattle only possessing these requisite 

 properties should be sent to Smithfield market, 

 and any others will assuredly incur loss to the 

 shipper. An ox or heifer of these properties, 

 weighing 80 stones per Smithfield stone of 

 8 Ibs., will actually realize more money than 

 a coarse ox or heifer weighing 100 stones. 

 Heavy cattle, however, do not take readily in 

 Smithfield, except for a month about Christ- 

 mas, unless they are remarkably handsome; 

 nor do very light cattle, under 40 stones, for 

 two or three months in summer, unless they 

 are really neatly shaped, and thick on the 

 backs and best points. The most saleable 

 weights are from 50 stones to 55 stones. Of 

 the Scotish breeds, the Galloway and West 

 Highlanders fetch generally the top price; fine 

 Angus and Aberdeenshires, of fine points and 

 thick backs, take well ; and handsome, well- 

 bred short horns also take readily, but do not 

 realize so much money as Galloways or West 

 Highlanders. Fine crosses are also very 

 saleable. 



The meat intended to be sent to the carcass 

 market in London should be taken from such 

 cattle as we have described. It is not large 

 quantities of lean and fat that are wanted there, 

 but both well mixed. Ox and heifer beef of 

 equal quality command the same prices. 

 Rumps, loins, crops, and other fine parts fitted 

 for roasting and steaks, are more in demand 

 than the boiling pieces, and realize compara- 

 tively higher prices, and therefore they alone 

 should be sent. Coarse beef always fetches 

 low prices in London, and therefore should be 

 purchased (to use a sporting phrase) at a low 

 figure in the country to return any profit, for 

 the best buyers look more to quality than 

 quantity; and as this quality of beef is rather 

 cheaper in London than in Scotland, ship- 

 pers should be cautious in sending any such 

 thither. 



2. Selection of Sheep and Mutton. Ripe, com- 

 pact sheep, of light weights, carrying a large 

 proportion of lean on the back, loins, and 

 shoulder, with a full round leg and handsome 

 carcass, are admirably suited for Smithfield. 

 Such, from 14 lb. to 20 lb. per quarter, will 

 take readily ; but they are most valuable from 

 16 lb. to 18 lb. The nearer the form and quality 

 approach those of South Downs, the more likely 

 are they to command the top prices ; for the 

 Downs have long been unrivalled favourites 

 in Smithfield. True bred Cheviots and the 

 black-faced Linton breed approach nearly to 

 the qualities of the South Downs, and com- 



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