MEAT. 



as a proportional>le mixture of fat 

 with the lean. In using the loins 

 and other i)arts of very fat mutton 

 for chops, much of it has to be pared 

 away, and sold for the price of raw 

 fat. The great point is to select 

 ripe mutton and sheep, for the latter 

 will stand the journey better than half 

 fat, and will not lose half the quan- 

 tity of llesh in three days as tiie lat- 

 ter. No overgrown animals, having 

 masses of fat on one place and not 

 on another, would, therefore, com- 

 mand the top price ; but those having 

 plump carcasses, well mixed with fat 

 and lean, firmly and equally laid on, 

 with fine symmetry and valuable 

 points, will always command the top 

 price, both at Smith field and the car- 

 cass markets. 



"3. Selection of Lambs. — Lambs 

 are a favourite stock to send to mar- 

 ket, and they are always sent alive. 

 Leicester lambs are admirably adapt- 

 ed for the market. They are hand- 

 some, compact, thick on all the 

 points ; and although they might be- 

 come too fat when grown to sheep, 

 they cannot be too fat as lambs. 

 Their flesh is white, and every joint 

 of them looks well on the table. The 

 lambs of the cross between the Lei- 

 cester and the Cheviot and black- 

 faced ewes are next best for fat and 

 lean, and cut well into joints, although 

 they have not the handsome figures 

 of the pure Leicester. No lambs 

 should be sent to market until they 

 are at least three months old, and 

 have attained the weight of 9 lbs. or 

 10 lbs. a quarter; and if they are not 

 fat enough, and have not attained 

 that weight at that age, they should 

 be kept on. Ewe lambs are prefer- 

 red, being more delicate than weth- 

 ers, which are next in value. All 

 wether lambs, therefore, should be 

 castrated when a few days old, and 

 their tails cut short, leaving not more 

 than three inches. The docking gives 

 them a very compact form, and it 

 causes the flesh to grow up towards 

 the back, long tails giving a contrary 

 tendency. 



" 4. Selection of Pigs and Pork. — 

 A very mistaken notion prevails that 



pigs must be fat to suit the market. 

 The fact is quite the reverse, for 

 the larger the pig is fattened the less 

 money per pound it fetches. Pigs 

 are worth the most money when their 

 weight ranges from '.i5 lbs. to 40 lbs. ; 

 and from this weight up to 60 lbs. or 

 70 lbs. they are termed dairy fed pork- 

 ers. If, at the former weight, they 

 are of good symmetry, fine quality, 

 delicate and white in the flesh, and 

 not more than 1 inch or l{ inch thick 

 of fiit on the back, they will fetch the 

 top price of the day. Indeed, we need 

 not be surprised at this preference, 

 when we consider that only the small 

 lean and fat porkers are used for 

 roasting, chops, and pickled pork, and 

 the large, fat pigs are chopped down 

 for sausages. No pigs, therefore, 

 should be sent to market exceeding 

 100 lbs., exclusive of head and feet, 

 but which are only moderately fat 

 and of fine quality ; all other quali- 

 ties should be cured as bacon and 

 hams. Occasionally they arrive in 

 pretty good order in carcass ; but in 

 carcass, in thick weather, the flesh 

 becomes very soft, and the skin dry ; 

 and in dry weather the skin becomes 

 quite hard and brown coloured. Of 

 equal qualities, the live pig will draw 

 from a halfpenny to a penny a pound 

 more than in carcass. Feeders of 

 pigs should be careful on what they 

 feed their pigs, especially fish. The 

 retail butchers are such nice judges 

 of pork that, on buying a carcass and 

 cutting a slice, they can detect the 

 least peculiarity in taste. 



" Cutting uf Meat. — The mode of 

 cutting up meat is more diversified 

 even than the slaughtering ; but as 

 London is the great emporium of th^ 

 export meat trade, the method of cut- 

 ting up meat in the metropolis should 

 constitute the particular study of the 

 shippers of meat. In the carcass of 

 any animal, an ox, for instance, there 

 are difl'erent qualities of meat, and 

 these qualities are situated in differ- 

 ent parts of the carcass. All the best 

 parts-are, in London, used for roast- 

 ing and steaks, and the inferior for 

 boiling, either in pieces, or making 

 stock for soups, or minced meat, iq 



489 



