1868. | On an Extraneous Meat-supply. 5 
the bottom), from whence the fluid of the meat oozes mto another 
vat from whence the fat is drawn off.* The pure gravy is then 
put into open vats supplied with steam-pipes and with bellows on 
the surface, which produce a blast and carry off the steam, thus 
helping the evaporation and preventing condensation. Here it re- 
mains from six to eight hours, when it is passed into a filtering vat 
and drawn off in the form of extract of meat. When cool it partially 
hardens, and is ready for packing in tins and exportation.” Mr, 
Ford tells us that eight small tins will hold the concentrated alimen- 
tary matter of an entire ox, at the price of 96s., and will make over 
1,000 basins of good, strong soup, costing, therefore, rather less 
than a penny a basin. 
Mr. Ford speaks rather doubtfully of Mr. Sloper’s process ; 
—and, whilst he is very enthusiastic about Morgan’s (to which 
reference has been made), he says concerning that of McCall and 
Sloper, “These gentlemen profess to be able to preserve meat in 
its fresh and raw state, which is to arrive in England or elsewhere 
in the exact condition as butcher’s meat just killed, &., &e.” He 
observes, in another part of his report, that the price paid for 
Morgan’s beef is barely remunerative, so the other gentlemen are 
probably adopting the wiser course of bringing their system to 
perfection (af this can be done) before applying it in a practical 
manner. It must be clearly understood that we do not wish to 
discourage the attempt to preserve meat chemically, but believing 
that as at present imported it gains little favour, and is calculated 
to raise a prejudice which it may be found very difficult to remove 
hereafter, we would recommend the greatest caution in the practical 
application of any new system. Messrs. Medlock and Bailey use 
Bisulphite of Lime, and Mr. McCall Bisulphite of Soda in the 
preservation of his meat; both these processes are patented, and 
we believe the system of injection is employed as described above. 
By far the most valuable, as it is the simplest, system of pre- 
servation, however, is that of packing the meat in tin cases as 
practised in America, Australia, and at home, and to this we shall 
now direct the reader’s attention. At Mr. McCall’s Factory in 
Houndsditch this operation may be seen in perfection, and no secret 
is made of the process. On entering the factory, the visitor is 
struck with the long rows of legs of mutton and venison, and 
pieces of meat to be preserved ; and is introduced into a large shed 
where a great many butchers are employed in cutting the bone 
and a portion of the fat from the meat, and reducing it to a suit- 
able form for preserving in tins. The raw meat is then packed 
tightly in these tins (varying in weight from half-a-pound to six 
_ * Weare quoting Mr, Ford, and must not be held responsible for tle verbiage 
of a State document. 
