BEEF FATTENING. 61 



ness of caitle-raising , we must not forget that he has not 

 touched upon the theme which I propose to discuss at this 

 time. 



He says of cattle-raising in the East, " The Eastern and 

 Middle States show a rapid decrease of cattle. The land 

 there is too dear to make the business of raising cattle pro- 

 fitable, and it pays the farmer better to turn all his attention 

 to the cultivation of cereals and vegetables. 



" Although he will always be obliged to raise a few cattle, 

 he has already given up the idea of profitably raising herds, for 

 he remembers that he must pay for his pasture from fifty to 

 one hundred dollars per acre, and must raise hay and fodder 

 for his cattle, and that he has to compete with the herds 

 raised out West on pastures formerly worth nothing, and 

 now perhaps only two or three dollars per acre, on which 

 cattle thrive and fatten winter and summer without shelter." 



We all subscribe to this summing up of the question of 

 comparison of the East and the West for cattle-raising. But 

 read Mr. Richthofen's book through, and you find no claim 

 that the cattle raised in this Western cattle El Dorado, on 

 this cheap soil, can be marketed in New England as good 

 wholesome beef, whether on the hoof or slaughtered. 



Oar discussion relates to the subject of procuring good, 

 palatable beef for our own consumption. 



Now passing the epoch of Eastern catt\e-raismg let us for 

 a moment take up the period with which most of us are 

 familiar, when Western cattle-raising became established, 

 and the New England market was supplied with Western 

 cattle shipped alive and slaughtered here. 



Were there any difficulties attending that system? Did 

 we get good, wholesome l)ecf? 



Mankind is so organized that the appetite for food demands 

 the 1)cst quality and the most exquisite flavor. Once the 

 taste has l)Ccomc settled upon the normal flavor of vegetable, 

 fruit or meat, it is not satisfied with any imitation or any 

 fault in the quality of food. 



Oleomargarine is not butter, chiccory is not cofl'ee, nor 

 is tainted meat tolerable, or meat which has, by chemical 

 })rocess or faulty preparation, been deteriorated in quality. 



But nmch more do we reject food which from any cause 



