FRESH-MEAT SHIPMENT TO EUROPE. 319 



across the Atlantic, can be much reduced. A more systematic and 

 thorough manner of feeding must be inaugurated to cheapen the pro- 

 duction. An increase of production will not meet the requirements of 

 the case unless such increase is improved in quality much beyond the 

 average rate novs^ sent to market. Stall-feeding must take the place of 

 the wasteful and careless fattening in the pastures and corn-fields as is 

 now generally practiced. Let the vast areas of pasture in the border 

 States and Territories be employed for breeding and feeding the cattle 

 - until they are two years old, and then let them be sent forward to the older 

 sections to be fed a year on corn and rounded up to the proportions of 

 the foreign demand. 



The following extract from the London Mark Lane Express of Janu- 

 ary 15 will be of interest here : 



The excitement upon the subject of the importation of meat from America increases 

 as the news of large freights received circulates through the country, losing nothing, 

 we may depend, in its course. There is no doubt that the large supplies recently sent 

 to London and Liverpool have had a considerable eftect upon the trade of those im- 

 portant meat-markets, although up to the present, prices in the country have not been 

 appreciably affected. The present supplies of American meat, if spread anything evenly 

 over the country, would be absorbed without producing any noticeable effect upon the 

 demand of home-produced meat. But the supplies are not, nor are they ever likely to 

 be, evenly spread over the country. Indeed, in hot weather, unless the cold-air proc- 

 ess is kept up after disembarkation and during transit by rail, the foreign meat cannot be 

 sent far into the inland districts. What, however, will amount to the same thing will 

 be this, that the price of meat being lower in London and other large ports than in the 

 country markets, less home-grown meat will be sent to the former, and the supply, and 

 therefore the prices, will be again equalized. Then, as we have remarked, if the 

 American supply is not larger than it is now, its effect upon the price of meat will be 

 infinitesimal. But there are those who tell us that the trade is only in its infancy, and 

 as we know but little of the resources of America for meat-producing, we cannot dis- 

 prove the prediction. Only last week one large importer stated that he had a thoa- 

 sand carcasses of beef, and as many of both mutton and pork as well, on the sea be- 

 tween New York and Liverpool. Such little recitals as that are calculated to cause 

 alarm ; but until we know more about American resources it will be foolish to gladden 

 the hearts of consumers and cause producers to tremble with visions of cheap meat. 

 It has not yet been proved that America can keep up her present shipments of meat of 

 fine quality, and it would not pay to send any other ; still less that she can increase 

 the supply. Nor has it yet been shown that American farmers can rear and fatten bul- 

 locks to send to England and sell with a profit at sixpence a pound. We could not do 

 it here with land rent free. 



A new impulse has been given to the business by the increased facili- 

 ties lor handling meat on its arrival in England. An immense refriger 

 ator, covering an area of nearly an acre, with numerous apartments, 

 each of which contains a cooling apparatus like that in use on the 

 steamers, has been built and is used for storing the meat and obviating 

 the necessity of immediate distribution and compulsory sale at any 

 price that could be obtained at the moment. 



The following official figures show the increase of this trade in eighteen 

 months : 



