cooked. The true cause of this
shrinking, may be found in the old age of the animal, or in its diseased
state, at the time of killing. The best age is from three to five years.

Few persons are aware of the injury they sustain, by eating the flesh of
diseased animals. None but the Jewish butchers, who are paid exclusively
for it, attend to this important circumstance. The best rule for judging
that I have been able to discover, is the colour of the fat. When the
fat of beef is a high shade of yellow, I reject it. If the fat of veal,
mutton, lamb or pork, have the slightest tinge of yellow, I avoid it as
diseased. The same rule holds good when applied to poultry.

* * * * *

TO CORN BEEF IN HOT WEATHER.

Take a piece of thin brisket or plate, cut out the ribs nicely, rub it
on both sides well with two large spoonsful of pounded saltpetre; pour
on it a gill of molasses and a quart of salt; rub them both in; put it
in a vessel just large enough to hold it, but not tight, for the bloody
brine must run off as it makes, or the meat will spoil. Let it be well
covered, top, bottom and sides, with the molasses and salt. In four days
you may boil it, tied up in a cloth with the salt, &c. about it: when
done, take the skin off nicely, and serve it up. If you have an
ice-house or refrigerator, it will be best to keep it there. A fillet or
breast of veal, and a leg or rack of mutton, are excellent done in the
same way.

* * * * *

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS ON ROASTING, BOILING, FRYING, &c.

In roasting butchers' meat, be careful not to run the spit through the
nice parts: let the piece lie in water one hour, then wash it out, wipe
it perfectly dry, and put it on the spit. Set it before a clear, steady
fire: sprinkle some salt on it, and when it becomes hot, baste it for a
time with salt and water: then put a good spoonful of nice lard into the
dripping-pan, and when melted, continue to baste with it. When your
meat, of whatever kind, has been down some time, but before it begins to
look brown, cover it with paper and baste on it; when it is nearly done,
take off the paper, dredge it with flour, turn the spit for some minutes
very quick, and baste all the time to raise a froth--after which, serve
it up. When mutton is roasted, after you take off the paper, loosen the
skin and peel it off carefully, then dredge and froth it up. Beef and
mutton must not be roasted as muc