Page:Henry Stephens Salt - A Plea for Vegetarianism and Other Essays.pdf/85

Rh makes known her demands to the butcher, the butcher in his turn applies to the cattle-breeder, and animals are bred and supplied precisely in proportion to this demand. If Vegetarianism ever became general, only such animals would be bred, and only in such limited numbers as would then be required for the service of men ; as, for instance, sheep for their wool, and horses for their value as beasts of burden. This change would, of course, be a gradual one: the demand for other cattle would not cease suddenly, nor would cattle-breeders be ruined by ﬁnding their occupation suddenly gone. Nor need we fear that any animals would eventually be left unprovided for on our hands; for there would undoubtedly be some loyal and conservative ﬂesh-eaters, who, faithful to the end, would perform the useful task of eating up any otherwise superﬂuous oxen and swine. Horses are not at present usually killed for the sake of their flesh ; yet it is not found that they run wild in great numbers, or lie dying about our ﬁelds. Donkeys are not used for human food; yet it is, proverbially, a rare thing to see a dead donkey. So, too, would it be under a Vegetarian regime. Animals would be bred only in