334 Report on the American and Canadian Meat Trade. 
of the meat has reached the market in a musty condition, and affected with a 
peculiar stale smell, which renders it very objectionable. 
" lGth. The meat has a great tendency to become dark in colour on the out- 
side after the canvas has been stripped from it; the unsightly appearance 
it thus attains largely affects the price which it realises. 
" 17th. The average price at which the meat has been sold throughout the 
year by the side may be taken at Gjc?. per pound, or 4s. 2d. per stone, in 
Liverpool, for freshly landed meat in good condition. 
" 18th. I am not in a position to state the amount of profits, and who 
makes them. 
" 19th. As near as can he gathered from the various returns, I estimate 
the quantity of meat imported from October, 1875, to end of June, 1877, 
from America and Canada, to be 63,028,472 lbs., about equal to 84,038 
bullocks, taking the average weight to the beast of dressed meat as 750 lbs., 
which is a reliable calculation to make. 
" 20th. The greatest difficulty those engaged in the trade have to contend 
against is the precarious character of the market on this side, and the impos- 
sibility of obtaining a regular price for their shipments. 
" 21st. The trade is without any organisation, and it frequently happens 
that if two or three vessels arrive at the same time, and the weather is against 
holding, the trade refrain from purchasing, and endeavour to make a price 
against the shippers, who are compelled to realise upon the best terms 
possible. 
" 22nd. In this trade, prices are run so close that there is no margin for a 
variation in price, and a farthing per pound will frequently turn the scale 
between a shipment making a loss or gaining a profit. The meat costs from 
5%d. to Qkd. per pound, with charges and contingencies paid. 
" 23rd. To remedy this great defect, and make the trade of a steady and 
reliable character, it is necessary to extend the system of refrigeration to the 
meat after it arrives here, by means of refrigerating-trucks and warehouses in 
all large centres of population. 
"24th. The company with which I am connected have fitted up four 
chambers (Fig. 1) for the storage of meat and other perishable produce, that 
we believe will in a great measure tend to promote this end. The capacity 
of these chambers is nearly 200,000 (two hundred thousand) cubic feet, and 
they are sufficient to contain all meat necessary for the London market ; the 
chambers are so constructed that they are capable of being maintained at any 
specified degree of temperature, irrespective of each other. 
" 25th. The transmission of meat by rail has also received our attention, and 
we are organising a system of special trains composed entirely of refrigerating- 
trucks, for the transport of meat ; these are intended to run on the Continent, 
to supply this market from Austria, Hungary, Southern Kussia, &c. 
" 26th. We also propose to place refrigerating-vans or trucks on the Home 
Railways, so that meat can be received and despatched without fear of deterio- 
ration. 
" 27th. The prospect of obtaining large supplies of meat outside America are 
very good. On the Continent both cattle and sheep are to be obtained in large 
quantities, of both good quality and at fair prices. 
" I am very truly yours, 
" D. Tallekman. 
" J. P. Sheldon, Esq., 
" The Brund, Sheen, Ashbourne, near Derby." 
