The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-17
ENGLISH MUTTON.
No SOuthdOwns or COtsWOlds in
This Market.
They Are Only Imported to Improve the
Fl0eks-SmaQ Joints Preferred by
the Local Consumers

One Of the last of the prejudices which
the British resident in this city abandons is
belief in the superiority of the meat
which is sold in his native land.
He may live here years enough to lose his
accent, swear by the glorious climate of
California, to restore the letter ''h'' to his
alphabet, to become citizen and juror,
but his conviction remains mistaken that
the beef and mutton which is sold in the
local markets is taSteess as compared with
the roast beef of old England and the juicy
Joints furnished by the black-faced sheep
which give an added charm to the peaceful
old country landscapes.
Wishing to ascertain how much of this
stubborn conviction was founded on fact,
and how much was due to a misdirectei and
long-dying patriotism, CALL reporter yes
terday called on some of the leading retail
butchers and asked whether the trade found
any considerable demand for imported
Southdowns and Cotswolds.
A DISSERTATION ON SHEEP.
JACOB Schweilzer, Clay-street butcher,
seemed decidedly of the opinion that
English sheep would not do in this country
"Ihey are used here" he said, "n large
numbers for cross breeding in order to i'm
prove the grade of the sheep. but the condi-
tons of raising sheep here and in the East
or Europe are SO different that it would be
difficult to raise them here in large num-
bers. The sheep there are in small bands
and are kept close to the house and can be
constantly looked after, In this State they
are in large bands aud are driven every
spring way off in the mountains. The high
grade sheep are not hardy enough to stand
these conditions. From the butchers point
OF view large meat is net wanted. Cots
void or SGuthdown three-y ear-oid runs as
high as 100 pounds, and the local sheep at
the same age about SO OF 60 pounds.
There is not the demand here" he
added, for large joints there is in the
East People here eat less meat and more
small sidt-dishes l do not think twenty
English mutton sheep could be sold by the
butchers in this city in day. Large beef
to-day is selling at 3 Y cents pound, while
small beef fetches 81 cents. l have been
told that Vermont sheep do best here and
make the best mutton"
EXPERTS DIFFER.
Fred Katz of the California Market had
had the same experience. Il don't know
about the names of the breeds. | can't tell
after they're cut up, but l know there's lit
tie demand here for large mutton. just
about Christmas people take large joints.
and | have some English customers for
whom l get large-sZed sheep. But the
average family and the hotels and boarding
give more per pound for small-sized sheep
of about 60 pounds than l would fer larger
one. OF course it might pay the breeders
to Keep English sheep as they weigh con-
siderably more, but they would not sell here
at so much per pound as the local sheep do"
This was rather a Knockout for the Eng
lish mutton, but staunch defender of the
Southdown was found in NJ. j. Kelly, the
well-known butcher of the Central Market.
1t is true" he said, THAT sheep running
from so to 20 pounds sell better here, but
could sell big mutton If could get the right
kind. Ii sheep are bigger than that here
the extra weight is all fat, and people wont
eat fat in this climate. Now thar isn't so
with the Southdowns. They are the best
mutton sheep in the world, and they are all
good meat, clean through. 1 am sure l
could sell them if could get them, and if
they didn't sell we'll at first it wouldn't be
long before the good quality of the mutton
would be found out, Sometimes around
Christmas time We get what are called
SouihdOwns in the market, but they're only
about a third Southdown and the rest
Merno. | have never seen any pure Eng
lish mutton for sale here"