No. 4. 



Provision Trade with England, 



115 



too strongly urge the point. The meat 

 should be of a bright cherry colour, and the 

 fat firm and yellow. 



Pork. — 'It is desirable that this important 

 article should assimilate as much as possi- 

 ble, to the Irish in every respect. As yet 

 we have had very little of your first rate, 

 hard, pinky pork. A very large proportion 

 of what has been received, has been soft 

 and oily, often cut with a dull cleaver in- 

 stead of knife and saw, and hence ragged 

 at the edges. Nothing but the solid, corn- 

 fed pork, should be sent here. There has 

 been too much reason to fear that hogs fed 

 for oil, have been packed for pork. We are 

 aware that no country can produce better 

 pork than yours, and as natives of it, we are 

 very desirous to see pork take its proper 

 rank here, and shall be proud to aid by our 

 exertions in bringing about this desirable 

 object. In this article we deem it neces- 

 sary only to make two qualities, say Prime 

 and Mess. The former consisting of Hocks, 

 Necks, Shoulders, Rump pieces, with some 

 Side cuts, all in pieces of about 4 lbs., and 

 the latter (Mess) to be Rump and Side 

 pieces only, cut square, of 4 lbs. weight, or 

 thereabouts. As in beef, so in pork, we re- 

 commend that it be in tierces, of 304 lbs. 

 good weight, but this is not so important as 

 with beef. If in barrels, the weight should 

 be fully 200 lbs. Whether in tierces or 

 barrels, they should be made in the same 

 way as described for beef. Much of the 

 New Orleans pork, as it is here called, has 

 been found to be covered with a thick, slimy, 

 red matter, doubtless arising from the use of 

 rain water without preparation. Could not 

 the pickle be boiled and well skimmed be- 

 fore use ; or could not the water be passed 

 through a body of sand to act as a filterer, 

 before put to the salt, and then well skim- 

 med, drawing it off" from all sediment] We 

 deem somethmg of this sort important, to 

 free the pork from the red deposit on it. To 

 give the pinky colour alluded to, as well as 

 to give a firmness to the meat, we presume 

 about 1^ ounces of salt-petre per cwt., will 

 be required. 



Hams. — This is an important article if 

 we can but get them to suit, the consump- 

 tion being very great. Of the large quan- 

 tity imported since the opening of the trade, 

 but a very small proportion has been what 

 was wanted. Several errors have been 

 committed in this article, the most promi- 

 nent of which are over-smoking, and pack- 

 ing in casks, by which latter plan they have 

 arrived in a heated state, or rendered very 

 soft. We are of opinion that much less 

 smoking than you are in the habit of giving 

 them, would, if they can be made quite dry 



by it, answer much better for this market, 

 or if they can be dried without smoking at 

 all, they would be preferable to the over- 

 smoked. The mode of curing with sugar 

 and molasses, added to the salt and salt- 

 petre, is much approved, as increasing the 

 flavour and rendering them tender when 

 cooked, but still very excellent hams are 

 made without this addition. We would re- 

 commend that each ham be first covered 

 with brown paper, and then with bagging 

 or canvass, neatly sewed to fit the ham, then 

 handsomely marked, with a string in each 

 knuckle to hang up by. The plan of pack- 

 ing them in casks after being bagged, is not 

 only a superfluous expense, but tends to their 

 arriving in a heated state, which is their 

 ruin. The bagging is a sufficient protec- 

 tion of itself, and if stowed in the 'tween 

 decks of a vessel, where there is more or 

 less air, they can be landed in good order, 

 and at a more moderate rate of freight than 

 when in casks. Hams must be cut short 

 and nicely trimmed. 



Laril. — This article is of great consump- 

 tion, it being used by all classes for culinary 

 purposes, whilst the inferior qualities are 

 taken by the oil makers and soapers. Very 

 white solid leaf lard should be in kegs of 

 firkins, while anything inferior to it, may be 

 in barrels and half barrels, the price not 

 being sensibly affected thereby. We would 

 recommend the white leaf lard in bladders, 

 and then packed in moderate sized casks, if 

 it were possible to receive them without 

 damage or deep indentures, but we fear it 

 cannot be done, and therefore we recom- 

 mend kegs or firkins for it. 



Grease. — This is another article of great 

 consumption by the candle makers and soap- 

 ers, let the quality be what it may, and may 

 be sent in any sort of package, but the actual 

 tare of each should be marked on each, 

 which saves trouble and expense here in as- 

 certaining it. 



Tallow. — This article has long been 

 known of extensive consumption by tallow 

 chandlers, and latterly for machine pur- 

 poses. Solidity and good colour are its 

 principal requisites, and tierces the best 

 packages for it. 



Lard Oil. — This is a new article every 

 where, but more so here than with you. Its 

 applicability for all the purposes to which 

 Sperm and Olive oils are applied, renders it 

 valuable, but an early check has been given 

 to its use, by an order from the Board of 

 Trade, to raise the duty to 20 per cent, on 

 its value, instead of Is. 3d. per cwt., as laid 

 down in the Tariff", making a difference of 

 about 6s. per cwt. Should it be found quite 

 suitable tor machine and engine purposes, 



