477 
fornia, and the regular and limited period of her annual rain-fall, give 
special facilities for drying in the sun. Grapes dried in this way pro- 
duce much finer raisins than those dried by artificial heat. The grape- 
growers of California also exhibit great ingenuity in shielding their 
grapes against occasional and unexpected showers; {rames are provided 
for the spreading of the fruit and are arranged for convenient handling 
and turning, so that all sides of the bunches may be consecutively ex- 
posed to the heat. On the approach of rain the frames may be speedily 
‘placed under cover, and when dry weather re-appears may again be 
spread out. 
EXPORT OF AMERICAN BEEF AND MUTTON.—Six steamers of the 
Anchor line have been provided with refrigerating apparatus for the 
transport of fresh meat across the Atlantic. Cattle are brought by rail 
to the seaboard and killed the night before they are shipped. A current 
of cool air, driven by steam-power and kept up all night, sets the beef 
and extracts the animal heat. Carcasses are then cut in quarters and 
placed in the refrigerating compartments of the vessels. These are her- 
metically sealed, and kept cool by masses of ice in the next rooms. Air 
circulates between the meat-rooms and the ice-rooms by means of tubes 
and a pumping-engine. The temperature is kept down fo 38°. A re- 
duction to the freezing-point would greatly injure the flavor of the meat. 
The transportation of live cattle cannot be maintained in competition 
with the dead-meat trade, which is enlarging rapidly. Arrangements 
have been made to ship 200 carcasses per week to Glasgow alone. In 
cold weather the number wiil probably be increased. This is but a 
specimen of what may be expected of this dead-meat trade, which is yet 
but in its infancy. 
STATISTICS OF NEw MExico.—A pamphlet issued by the New Mex- 
ico Stock and Agricultural Association states the area of the Territory’ 
at 77,563,640 acres, of which about 9,000,000 are claimed under private 
grants. Up to 1876, 6,143,463 acres had been entirely surveyed, besides 
189,485 acres of military reserves, 1,752,960 acres Indian reserves, 
4,377,750 acres of private grants, and 705 acres of mines and town-sites ; 
total, 12,469,363 acres. Of the surveyed lands the amount technically 
called “offered land,” is 1,630,735 acres. These are lands that have 
remained unsold, after having been been offered at public auction. Of 
these, about 65,000 acres have been purchased or entered under the 
homestead and pre-emption laws. The residue are now open to appro- 
priation by private entry, at $1.25 for ordinary lands and at $2.50 for 
lands within the limits of railroad-grants. Two roads have been sub- 
sidized—the Texas Pacific and the Atlantic and Pacific. A large area 
of confirmed private grants is ready for purchase from the grantees. 
The Territory contains from 18,000,000 to 20,000,000 acres of arable 
land capable, with irrigation, of high cultivation. The irrigating facil- 
ities are ample, water abundant, and located on appropriate levels. 
The mountain country presents a large number of natural basins for the 
accumulation of winter and spring rains, and of water from melting 
mountain-snows in the summer. The soils of the lowlands are gene- 
rally a rich sandy loam, composed. of disintegrated rocks and voleanic 
ashes. Corn, wheat, oats, and barley grow well in all parts of the Ter- 
ritory, especially in the northern region. Corn, in the rich bottoms, 
with no careful culture, yields as high as 80 bushels peracre. Near San- 
ta Fé are lands that have been in cultivation for two hundred years, 
without an ounce of fertilizers, and yet their productive capacity seems 
scarcely impaired. The Rio Grande del Norte Valley has a length, in 
