148 AGRICULTURE ON THE RHIXE. 



being an average price, the whole beast must be sold at 

 the same rate, and those who obtain a portion of the 

 more fleshy parts are obliged to take a certain quantity 

 of bone cut off from any part where it may be to spare to 

 eke out the lot. In many parts of Germany the form of 

 publishing weekly the prices at which the different 

 butchers of a town sell, according to their own report, is 

 considered sufficient control on the part of the magis- 

 tracy, and competition is allowed to do its part towards 

 reducing prices. In all districts, however, the district 

 medical officer has the charge of watching that no un- 

 sound meat be exposed for sale. 



From what has been said the reader must have ga- 

 thered that no great luxury is indulged in, as far as the 

 consumption of meat is concerned, by the German pea- 

 sants and burghers. Meat is sought as a necessary 

 article of food, and no more is expended upon it than 

 can be avoided. The farmer therefore has but little help 

 from the butcher, especially in the country ; and the 

 price he gets does not induce him to make the same 

 exertions to fatten stock that are made in England. The 

 main inducement to keep stock is in the dung obtained 

 from the beasts and the sale of milk, for the use of the 

 animals for draught seldom more than pays the cost of their 

 keep. By selling the carcase to the butcher the investea 

 capital is preserved undiminished. 



We subjoin some of the calculations on which the 

 foregoing remarks are founded, and shall trace the stock- 

 farmer's outlay from the commencement. We have 

 pointed out the high lands of the Westerwald as the seat 

 of cattle-breeding. A cow with her calf in that district 

 may be purchased for 60 to 80 florins, or from bl. to ll. 



