Averaging the Cattle at Twenty Pounds, the Sheep and Lambs at Forty Shillings, the Calves at Fifty Shillings, and the Pigs, Forty-five Shillings each, the Sum returned in SMITHFIELD Market, will be, Hundred Guineas, and one Two Year old Heifer, for Eighty-four Guineas. It is gravely asserted, that, some time ago, Mr. PRINCEP of Croxal, Derbyshire, declined an Offer of TWO THOUSAND pounds, for Twenty Dairy Cows. These enormous Sums have not been confined to OXEN. SHEEP, from a Whim to extend the Size, alter the Shape, or improve the Wool, have obtained Prices astonishing to all, but those who gave them. The MERINO'S, were esteemed by some first Rate Breeders, a Compensation (not perhaps to the Extent, that might, in general, be satisfactory), for the Perplexity and Expenditure it has occasioned, in forcing our Way into that COUNTRY, from whence these Animals have been exported. With such an Expensive ANCESTRY, can the PROGENY be afforded to be even brought to Market, upon Terms likely to reduce the Cost of MUTTON OF BEEF, by any Augmentation in the Weight, or Improvement in the Symmetry or Wool, of either NEAT CATTLE OF SHEEP? To this preposterous Mode of conceding to Fancy, or to Fashion, even the Hazard of enhancing the Price, of so material a Portion of Human Aliment, may be opposed the Eccentric Publication of Mr. RITSON, condemning the Use of ANIMAL FOOD, altoge ther. The Absurdity of this recently broached Doctrine, or rather Old one, new revived, proves the Author to be as ignorant of NATURE, as he is deficient in Argument; for, unless the Crime of depriving an Animal of Life be in proportion to its Size, (the Reverse of which, the First of our POETS inculcates, telling us, he ought to know, that, even with every Cabbage he devours, the Lives of more Animals are destroyed, than any one Man eats, of either four or two footed Animals, in the Course of the longest Existence.-So much for the Cruelty. Let him next consider, that, if these Animals were permitted to increase ad infinitum, their necessary Consumption of vegetable Food must be so great, as not to leave this slender-witted Reformer, even a Cabbage, to enable him to put forth such pathetic Lucubrations. Cattle 152,660, at 201. a-piece, 3,053,200 00 44,375 0 0 76,747 10 0 Total, £5,264,742 10 0* The foregoing, does not, however, give a perfect Idea of the Animals brought to the LONDON Markets, their Size and fine Condition should be seen by a Stranger, to enable him to judge of the Extent of the Consumption. As a curious CALCULATION upon our Internal ECONOMY in 1810, the Subsequent is mentioned. A human Being is supposed to consume Annually, the Produce of rather more than three and one-eighth acres of land—namely, half an Acre for Bread, one-eighth of ditto for Beer, Cyder, &c. one-fiftieth ditto for Vegetables, and two-and-a-half ditto Animal food, (39 Stone of which, each Person, on an average Population of ten Millions, is computed to devour). It is estimated that there are in ENGLAND and WALES, 1,759,000 Horses, for Labour and Pleasure; and that they, with Colts, &c. require for their Support, 7,500,000 Acres of Land. In the County of Middlesex, the number of taxed Pleasure Horses, in 1797, was 18,266; for Agriculture, &c. 12,709-Total 30,975. * At VIENNA the Number of Cattle, &c. which came for the Consumption of that CAPITAL, from the 1st November 1805, to the 31st October 1806, amounted to 72,761 Oxen. 2,241 Cows. 64,992 Calves. 69,024 Sheep. 102,434 Lambs. 63,094 Hogs. 515,433 Quintals of Wheaten Flour. 331,160 Quintals of Rye Flour, &c. 22,322 Pounds of Salt. 332,072 Measures of Austrian Wine. 33,576 of Hungary Wine. 1,875 of Foreign Wine. 595,751 Measures of Beer. 6,198 Sucking Pigs. The METROPOLIS Consumes Butchers' Meat, to the amount of Seven Millions Sterling Yearly. A Calf, fed for the London Market, is stated to consume as much Milk, as would make a hundred weight of Cheese. The number of Sheep, in ENGLAND and WALES, according to the Evidence given on passing the Wool Bill, exceeds forty Millions; of which, including three Millions of Lambs, about fifteen Millions are killed Annually. The following is a correct List of the number of Beasts, Sheep, &c. slaughtered in LONDON only, during the last three Months: It should be remarked, that, in the last three Months, less is slaughtered than in any other Quarter of the Year. Proportion of Land cultivated for different Purposes, in ENGLAND and WALES: Fruit and Kitchen Gardens, cultivated by the Spade 41,000 Pleasure Grounds Lands depastured by Cattle 15,000 17,479,000 The total Annual Produce of 46,916,000 Acres is estimated at 126,720,000l. which costs, in Labour, Artificers, and Horse-keep, 56,720,000l. leaving an Annual net Increase of 70 Millions Sterling; of which the LANDLORD is supposed to get forty-two Parts, TAXES and TITHES thirteen, and the FARMERS fifteen. This latter Allotment we presume to have been made at a Period, infinitely less productive to the FARMER, than the Present. Other Articles of Sustenance for the People of LONDON, may be here noticed, the Herds of Milch Cows in its Vicinity, excite Surprise in Foreigners, yet few of them suspect the Amount of the Consumption of Milk, which is not less than 6,980,000 Gallons Annually. The Number of Cows kept for this Supply, is Eight Thousand five Hundred. The Sum paid by the Retailers of Milk to the Cowkeepers, is given at 240,8331. per Annum, on which the Retailers lay an Advance of Cent per Cent, making the Cost to the Inhabitants, 481,6667. not content with the Profit above stated, a Sixth part Water is added on an Average. The Circumstances relative to the Adulteration of Milk, ought to be added to the List of petty Frauds, which not merely affect the Pockets, but the Health of the Purchasers. When the Nobility and Gentry are in Town for the Winter Season, the Deterioration of Milk is at the highest, during the Summer Months, when such Families are mostly in the Country, it may probably be of rather a better Quality. The Milk is always given in its genuine State to the retail Dealers, and is sold to them under Twopence halfpenny per Quart, for which they obtain Fivepence, this Profit* is surely large enough to prevent, even the smallest In *Not satisfied with this Advantage, which, considering the difference of Measures, is above 100 per Cent. it is usual for the Retailers to carry the Milk to their own Houses, where it is set for half a Day, when the Cream is taken from it, at least all that comes up in that Time, and it is then sold for new Milk. By which means, what is delivered in the Morning, is no other than the Milk of the preceding Afternoon, deprived of the Cream it throws up by standing during that Time. By this Process a farther Benefit accrues to the Retailers, and the Milk is greatly reduced in point of Strength and Quality. This Cream, poor as it is, they again mix with Flour, Chalk, and perhaps other more baneful Ingredients, and yet it finds a ready Market in the METROPOLIS. Five or Six Men only, are employed in attending near Three Hundred Cows. As one Woman cannot milk above Eight or Nine Cows, twice a day, that part of the Business, would considerably Extend the Cowkeepers Expence, but the Retailer agrees for the Produce of a certain Number of Cows, and takes the Labour and Costs of Milking, on himself. Every Cowhouse is provided with a Milk Room (where the Milk is received and served out by the Cowkeeper), which is generally furnished with a Pump to which the Retail Dealers apply in Rotation, and dilute the Milk at their Discretion, this is not done secretly, but before any Person who may be standing by. The Pump is expressly placed there for that Purpose, and indeed is seldom used for any other. A considerable Cowkeeper in Surrey, has one on his Premises, which goes by the name of the Farmers Black Cow, (from its being painted of that Colour), and is said to yield more than all the Rest put together. Where there is no such Convenience, Things are much worse, for in that Case, the Retailers are not even careful to use clean Water. Ten Thousand Acres of Ground, handy to the METROPOLIS, are cultivated for Vegetables, and near Five Thousand for Fruit. The Sum paid at Market for Vegetables Annually, is about 645,000l.; and for Fruit, 400,000l. independent of the increased Price of the Retailers, which, on an Average, is more than Two hundred per Cent, making the entire Charge of the above Articles for the LONDON Supply, upwards of Three Millions Sterling. |