Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-08-18
farm aud Annsfhnid.
Flesh as a Diet.
From the Missouri Republican,

For the first time in the history
OF this country we hear complaint
of scarcity of meat, and the fact
warns us that the days of this ne
cessary of life are well nigh over.
We are approaching the point,
long since reached in Europe,
when meat will appear on the ia
bic only as a rarity and treat,
and not as an every day part of
regular diet. The rich, of course,
will be able to eat meat every day,
and three times a day if they de-
sire it, but those classes, neither
rich nor poor, who find it neces-
sary to study and practice a care
full economy in their expenditures
to prevent the outgo from exceed
ing the income, will have to con-
template a curtailment in the
visits of flesh to their boards. We
have in Texas still an Immense
supply of cattle but Texas is re-
mote from the great cities of the
East and centre where the chief
demands exist; and it is found
to more than double the first cost
of Texas bullock to transport
him to New York. Raising cattle
and other animals for market in
thickly settled farming regions is
a business that requires too much
pasture land to be profitable ; and
this is the explanation of the
growing scarcity and constantly
increasing price of meat. A partial
solace for the coming deprivation
is already prepared for US in the
extract of meat now being largely
provided in Texas and Australia,
and sold in the groceries. 1t is
about as inferior to flesh meat
itself as the extract of lemon is to
the real fruit; bat it will have to
answerin the stead of the original;
if we can not afford the genuine
article, we must be content with
the best counterfeit we can get.
And even the extract of meat is
so expensive an article that we
will be able to use it, in the meat
less time coming, only to flavor
our dinner with, rather than as
satisfactory substitute for flesh.
We must become vegelarians !;
there is no help for it. Americans
have been accustomed to use the
choicest kinds of meat with an ex-
travagance that would make even
a well-to-do European open his
eyes with establishment; but that
time is beginning to disappear,
and we must prepare to come
down to the European style Of
subsisting chiefly on vegetables,
with meat twice or three times a
week as a luxury. 1t is not a
pleasant thing to contemplate ;
but, after all, the daily use of meat
is not necessary either for health
or comfort. Nine-tenths of the
inhabitants Of the earth subsist
chiefly on diet of which meat
forms no part, and if they can get
along without flesh, why should
not we The millions of Chinese
live mainly on rice and tea, and
the millions of Hindoos on curry
powder the Germans live on
bread, beer and vegetables; the
Irish on potatoes and oatmeal the
inhabitants of the Indies on fruits
and meal ; the Spaniards largely
on bread and onions; the French
on vegetables, bread, and cheap
wine; and The Italians on bread,
and fruits. The flesh eating races
of the world are generally barba-
rians SO that, as meat begins to
disappear from our tables we shall
have the comfort of knowing that
it is a sign of our advancement
from the carniverous condition of
savages to the gentle vegetarian
state of a higher civilization.