The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-12-26
MISCELLANY.
VIA xxAr SNAIL We Ear.

The American people are gradually iucreas-
ing the consumption Of mutton. Thirty years
ago but few fat sheep went to the markets.. -
Nov more than million are required annual
ly to supply the demands Of New York city
alone The great staple meat food Of the
cities Is beef, while in the country districts It
il the flesh Of swine. Farmers cannot keep
whole carcasses Of beef on hand, and IL pre-
served in salt. as they do their pork, il soon
gets hard and unpalatable. A carcass Of NUT
ton being so much smaller, even In hot wealth.
err, q considerable portion Of It can be used
fresh, and the balance picked In salt. Nut
ton will keep longer in fresh state that any
other meat, and when corned 1t 10 excellent
food. Il 10 equally nutritious with beef and
far more wholesome than P;s-;nea many
form. For persons Of sedentary habits, and
all afflicted with weak digestion, it Is far
healthier than beef or pork Many people
who cannot digest either of the latter with
oat distress, can eat full meal Of mutton
and experience no unpleasantnsss whatever.
1t is the cleaiiesi and purest meat food in the
whole animal kingdom, as sheep will starve
before It will eat anything dirty or tainted. -
Mutton wastes less In the pot or oven than
beef. The bones are lighter and finer in pro-
portion to the amount of meat in well fed
sheep, aud this, alone, Ia an important .,.em
to those who have to buy. The less shrink
age IN cooking Is . considerable percentage IL
favor Of mutton. The great reason why more
mutton IL not Baten II because of it's poor
quality which is the result Of no gsneral sys-
tenn practiced in the production Of this i'm
portant staple. During the late war the price
Of wool ran up so high and the demand was
SO urgent that the country was stimulated to
the increasing of the focks without regard to
their kind or character. Mutton became =
secondary consideration or rather was not
taken into the account at all. With the close
of the war, and the inevitable monetary reac-
tlon. there came crash In tho price Of wool
and the sheep, bred for heavy heeces, were
sacrificed. Breeding sheep for their fleece
should be confined 70 the great areas west Of
the Mississippi, and remote fr"m market. So
long as more than sixty million dollars worth
of wool and wo,lou fabrics are yearly import
sheep in those immense regions will pay.
There il An opening for thousands to en-.
gage in permanent and profitable occupa-
ton. where are million Of acres specially
adapted to sheep. East Of the Mississippi
sheep should be bred for mutton with wool As
a secondary object. A sleeps fleece will
generally pay for its keeping, leaving the
growth OF the body for the profit. With this
basis and markets everywhere. by the exercise
Of skill and Judgment in breeding tho sheep,
the husbandman may turn to profitable no.
count portion, At least. OF his crops, and r.
pIenish his fields with tho richest manurial
elements. There must be demand for the
lambs and mutton. To Greats this, there
should be universal improvement in the
character Of the sheep sent to the si,ambles.
Mutton sheep must be bred-sheep adapted to.
the soil and suited to che climate where they
are raised. Thicker-msated carasses are re-
quired.
The heavy E ,glish sheep posscss these
qualities. but obey are not adapted TO all Of
our lands aud cold, changeable weather, and
then, some Of them mature ton slowly. We
ought to have Apnerican breds mad By cross
ing either tho powns Dr. she larger btseds cup
on the native stock--aud then selecting and
saving the eve lambs which come the nearest
to the standard the markets establish. BY
continuing system Of crossing anu selecting,
breeds Of sheep may be formed which, while
they are exactly suited to the peculiar circu,n-
stances Of soil and climate, may also be mold.
ed in form and quality 10 meet the require
ments OF consumers. A welldirscted and
energetic effort in this direction win stimulate
an increased consumption, fvr il il : we'll Of.
tablished law in trade that supply and de-
mand regulate each other, and il is equally
true that Improved articles also increase the
demand. The improved breeds Of England
have been made by judic,ous crossing, and Ok.
perimsnts have been tried IN this country
sufficiently to establish the fact that fins mut.
ton sheep more hardy and early to mature
can b. bred here with equal success.