354 Report on the American and Canadian Meat Trade. 
declined in quantity, not because it is difficult to send the meat 
over the sea in summer-time, but because trade in this country 
being depressed, the demand fell off, and prices diminished so 
that the margin of profit left to the exporters caused them to 
send diminished quantities. The trade must always be subject 
to these influences, and it will find its level just as other com- 
mercial enterprises do ; yet I think that the trade, shortly after 
the commencement, was heralded by a greater flourish of trum- 
pets than there was need for. It remains a fact, however, that 
the meat can be sent over sea just as successfully, though some- 
what less cheaply, in summer as in winter ; but on its arrival in 
this country, the means of continued preservation, and the 
method of its distribution over the country, have hitherto been 
so imperfect that the trade has necessarily been attended by 
serious losses — to the retailer more particularly — and it has been 
found altogether too risky in hot weather. In time, however, 
large refrigerating-stores after the manner of that under the 
Cannon Street Railway Station, will be erected at Liverpool, 
and in some of our larger cities ; and more appropriate vans for 
conveying the meat by rail will be built. These arrangements 
complete, the meat will be landed and sent at once to the shore 
refrigerating-stores, from which it may be distributed over the 
country as the requirements of the trade may dictate, or it may 
be safely kept in them for any reasonable length of time. 
The ultimate effect of the trade on the price of animal food 
and on the agriculture of this country is difficult to foresee. It 
is, however, more than probable that the extravagant expecta- 
tions of Americans, and of our own public, and the panic caused 
among our agriculturists, will be found to be without solid 
foundation. The rapid increase of our population, and the 
growing tendency towards a larger consumption of animal food 
per head of that population, will provide a better demand for 
home-fed beef than our alarmists imagine, however great the 
trade in Transatlantic beef may eventually become. But, in 
truth, the trade will never become so great as the vast resources 
of America and Canada might seem to indicate as possible. In 
those great countries the means for the production of beef and 
mutton are indeed well-nigh limitless, but production is not the 
only great factor to be considered. For some years the out- 
freights from this country to America, owing to the exorbitant 
tariffs imposed on our manufactured goods by the American 
Government, and to the depression of trade in the States, have 
been gradually declining, until at length the shipping com- 
panies have not only been compelled to lay up some of their 
ships, but are unable to procure remunerative out-cargoes for 
those still running across the Atlantic. Such being the case, 
