New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-23
lWHAT SHALL WE EAT?

pendent upon their daily wages for all the means Vi
support Of perhaps large family ",e'1 o",! o"o
pair of hands and those in many cases VIC a"D VI ="
woman. are nroductive of anything that adds to the
common stock Of food and rsiment, ideI ana house
rent.
have bee, for long time in receipt of fixed salary,
iccoe from other sources, that was entirely adequate
a, M time n was fixed not only to furnish all the
.a,e. bit many Of the Injuries, aud comforts and
,loa.,,res Of Hfe in civilized society who now find
,bemseyes in position that renders the serious
sdera,iou Of the question, "What shall we eat ?"
one ofthe most necessary of all necessaries.
That our country readers may that the agitation
Of this question is not idle one and only interesting
to those who live in cities but equally so those who
furnish the city with food let us glance at the prices
which the consumers in the city have to pay. These
with the exception of -four have probably never been
30 oDerous upon the middle classes of the peopesuch
O. have always been accustomed to live in whole
house and upon generous diet. As this is the great
est meat.consumDg country 10 the world where
large majority believe it an actual necessary of life,
let first look at the retail price of butcher meats
For roasting pieces Of beef, and beef-steaks the
pomnal price per pound is from Is to . cents, while
the real price owing to the cheating in weight Is often
25 per cent higher piece only fit for soup is charged
at about I2c or 15c. aud shin bone, with very little
meat rates at 10 cents pound. Plates, naves, necks,
brskets and rounds rarely sold fresh, and of
the strongest given by butchers for selling the
portions universally called for at such high prices is
that they cannot retail the parts at any price,
except the small portion taken cOrncd beef an for
this the present price is from II to Is cents pound.
A leg or oin Of mutton Is sold at 10 TO 20 cents
pound and all the parts at II to 10 cents and
some Of them are cOarse and poor enough Veal that
il fit to eat is sold at about the price per pound
as mutton. Lamb is fifty per cent higher. Fresh
pork mseraby poor too, sells for l2to 10 cents Salt
pork or smoked bacon, sells for IL to u cents and
smoked beef the
Fish, in q state which by courtesy will cali fresh,
sells prices fully equivalent according to value, to
those of butchers meats. Shad, remarkable only for
their lllputian size were kindly offered through the
month Of April to the lovers of that luxury, at about
25 cents pound that is, from 80 to % cents EACH
Iobsters alive are sold at six cents pound, hsh-
nOngers weight; that is, five pounds for what weighs
scapt four.
Butter is % to IS cents pound, and much the
largest portion of it would better grace the soap-fat
mans kettle than our tables. The bread winch we
get from the baker does not vary much from SIX cents
a pound. Sugar moasses lard tea, coffee, ralslns,
dried truIt, ana OtneI BfOCeIeS,
years ago, bear most fabulous prcesi but none of
them nor meat fish butter, can begin to show such
figures az stare us in the face when come to the
culinary vegetables. Sweet potatoes, One-fOurth of
Them unfit to eat, sell at the rate of 81 q
bushe: and common potatoes at full 81 5O bushel.
Turnips and ruta-bagas mostly sold by the
"smal measure"-which is measure that when filed
with large roots has empty space than solid mat
Ter vet the rate is equal to 81 25 to 81 so bushel
Psrsnps and carrots we cannot rate by the bushe,
they are sold by the piece about four for sixpence
Rsdshes, when first offered this Spring only two
cents piece for very, very small ones. But if the
purchaser is not satisfied with this extravaganza, let
him ask the price of lettuce-seven, eight and ten
cents bunch, of perhaps two ounces weight
moderate cabbage head is wOrthupon the prln-
cple that thing is worth what il will fechl5 to IL
cents Large ones of course are higher nprOporon-
too high for any but family in Independent circum-
stances to think of eating and then only as rare
luxury. Yes cabbage is at present rare luxury Is
it because it is so difficult to produce!
Some people look upon apples as one of the conve-
nisnces if not necessaries, of the table. Who can
afford to eat theml friend, who says she must have
them, told US that she had paid s. bushel lately.
Another said that she had ascertained that 1t was
cheaper 10 buy her apples of the street hucksters
mt two or three cents apiece than 1t was to buy them
by measure at the grocery. The price OF PIE
plant has ranged from cents buncht to scents leaf
thus we have given glance at the prices of food in
Eey-York in the month of April, 1857. Fortunately,
The staff of fe wheat flour and corn meal is cheaper
in proportion than any other article of food. The aver
ACE prce of -four TO the consumers is probably five
cents pound and corn meal about four cents. Rice,
too, Is not very expensive. Those who are able 10
buy rice by the hundred, meal by the bushel and
four BY the barrel so far they can live upon them,
may still live upon moderate means. They may also
vary the diet with pork and beans the latter being at
present the cheapest of all food if bought by the
bushol as they can be had for 81 "a or ~ Perhaps
Notwithstanding the price of potatoes, we may occa
sonally indulge in that good old Yankee dsh goldfish
and potatoes since can get the fish at hve cents
Mound Still. with all the economy of the best house
keeping it certainly is question of serious import as
70 what we shall eat that will afford sufficient
nourishment and variety of food for health ana SUI
enable those whose income is mitedto keep expenses
below that limit.
Our earnest advice to all is to eat less butchers
meat and substitute in its stead barreled pork ana
beef and smoked bacon, beet, venisOn and mutton
Last wear large quantities of sailed mutton hams
were sent here from the West and sold for three or
four cents pound At double that price they are
cheap, wholesome and nutritious food
In buying all kinds Of sailed meats, advantage can
be taken Of getting them in quantity at whoieSaie
prices In some measure the same advantage can De
taken, though it seldom IS in buying butchers meat.
The price by the piece or by the quarter OF beef and
mutton, often varies fifty per cent, and fore-quarter
always ses the lowest yet the consumer 1t Is ao-
solutely the most valuable.
is one of the religions tenets of tho Jews never to