268 



Steaming of Cattle, SfC. 



Vol. IX. 



there is, during the summer and fall months, 

 a great scarcity of water. 



Among the Cherokees there are many 

 native mechanics, such as blacksmiths, car- 

 penters and gunsmiths. Looms are manu- 

 factured ; and in one instance, a wooden 

 clock was made. Many of them possess a 

 great talent for the mechanic arts. I may 

 here mention, as a gratifying evidence of the 

 improvement of the Cherokees, the univer- 

 sal industry and the great ingenuity mani- 

 fested by the females in manufacturing cloth 

 and many other articles of domestic econo- 

 my. Considering the very few advantages 

 possessed by them, they evince a highly cre- 

 ditable degree of skill. 



Steaming of Cattle, &c. 



Cattle are being steamed up, at the 

 West to advantage; and where pasturage 

 is cheap and cattle are plenty, it is doubtless 

 a sure mode of disposing of stock to some 

 profit. The importance of this subject de- 

 serves a more minute statement of the dis- 

 position of the whole carcass, upon which 

 the gain depends. 



The hide is salted with fine salt on the 

 flesh side, and subsequently sprinkled with 

 coarse salt, and rolled up for the English 

 market, into which it is admitted at the 

 low duty of about six cents per cwt. The 

 The hide shrinks about 18 percent.; nets 

 from four to five cents per lb. And here I 

 would remark, that this foreign market is 

 much better than the domestic market at 

 the West. The hoofs are soaked in warm 

 water — not boiled — and then the flesh is 

 taken out for oil, while the horn part is sent 

 to Europe as a substitute for shell in making 

 combs. From the thigh and shoulders are 

 taken from 75 to 100 pounds of lean meat, 

 suitable for drying. If the British market, 

 or the market at the East is good, 100 pounds 

 of beef of the very best cuts are also reserved 

 for the barrel. The liver is rubbed over 

 with saltpetre, and then dry salted for about 

 two or three weeks, and hung up to dry 

 This makes a most excellent relish during 

 the summer, if fried in butter. The great 

 object is, however, to extract from the car- 

 cass all the oil or grease both from the flesh 

 and bones. For this purpose the carcass is 

 cut into pieces and thrown into an iron cyl 

 inder, capable of holding from 10,000 to 

 15,000 pounds of beef After the top is 

 fastened down, steam is let in to the extent 

 of 70 pounds to the square inch, which is 

 equal to 306 Fahr. 



Afl,er boiling 12 to 14 hours, and the oi 

 or grease has risen to the top, it may be 



drawn into barrels for the European market. 

 If this pressure of steam is continued upon 

 the bones for a few hours more, they become 

 soft. The rich soup in the kettle affords a ' 

 most excellent nourishment for swine, espe- 

 cially if shorts or meal be added. It is esti- 

 mated that 40 beeves killed per day, and 

 tried up in the manner stated, will feed 600 

 to 1000 hogs. The pork, it is true, will not 

 be equal to the corn-fed, but will try up to 

 advantage for lard, leaving also a further 

 supply of soup. , 



If we consider the low price of cattle in ? 

 the West — viz. .$8 to $!lO for a large steer — 

 the cheapness of pasture, and the quantity 

 of fat which is acquired by one summer's 

 feed, we cannot doubt that this plan will 

 give a certain market, which is far better 

 than none. 



The time will soon come when more at- 

 tention will be paid to the selection of cattle 

 for their hides. Some hides are actually 

 worth twice as much as others for their 

 wear, after being tanned. The hides of the 

 Durham cattle, for instance, are more open 

 and porous tlian the hides of the native cat- 

 tle, and hence their suffering from cold ; and 

 far less so t!ian of the Scottish cattle upon 

 the mountains. Very little has hitherto been 

 said upon this point. I have written for in- 

 formation, which may arrive too late for this 

 report. 



The question arises, — how much tallow 

 will a fat steer afford 1 The following state- 

 ment I received from a large packer at Cin- 

 cinnati: If the ox weighs 700 pounds, deduct 

 25 pounds for kidney-tallow; for rough gut 

 tallow, 50 pounds; allow 100 pounds for 

 hide, and 100 pounds for the lean meat for 

 drying; this will leave 425 pounds to be 

 tried up. If the hide only is taken out, 

 leaving 600 pounds. This, it is supposed, 

 will give, — if the steer is fat — from 25 to 

 to 30 per cent, of tallow or grease, and may 

 be increased 6 or 10 per cent. The estimate 

 given me is this: 



91 00 



3 00 

 9 00 



$16 00 



No account is made in this computation 

 of oil from the feet, or the grease and soup 

 from the offal. 



I have directed some new experiments to 

 be made with six bullocks, to determine 

 more definitely and satisfactorily the facts 

 as communicated above. I hope to receive 

 the results before this report is closed. 



Several patents have been lately taken 

 out to increase the facility of trying up cat- 

 tle, sheep and hogs. 



Hide, 100 lbs. at 4 cents, 



Beef for smoking, TOO lbs. at 3 cents. 



Tallow, 150 lbs. at 6 cents, 



