AMERICAN PROVISIONS IN ENGLAND. 
375 
quality, carefully selected the choicest and firmest 
meat, and did all in their power to carry out the 
suggestions of the dealers here. The result was, 
that Hambro' rose to within 4s. to 55. of Irish; the 
quantity increased from 100 to nearly 500 bales a 
•week, and at the present moment it sells as fast as 
it arrives, at 5'4s. to 56s. 
*It remains to be seen whether the defects above 
alluded to in the American, can be remedied the 
coming season ; whether an article can profitably 
be sent from the states that will command a sale 
at 8s. to 10s. under the price of Irish, and maintain 
its ground on its own merits. 
Ice-Cured Singed Sides, or shipments made dur- 
ing the summer heats, do not answer ; the meat 
sustains, in all cases, an injury that lowers the 
price, and in some instances has done so to the 
extent of 50 per cent. Shipments of singed meat, 
by New Orleans, ought, for the same reason, either 
to be avoided altogether, or made only in the months 
of December and January. 
We have referred more fully to the article of 
singed sides, because it is the leading one of the 
London trade, and we expect may be made most 
profitable to export from the states. 
Scalded Sides, of similar cut, are saleable at about 
4s. to 6s. under singed, and where the length of 
the transit might cause liability to heating, are to 
be preferred. 
Boneless Long Middles, and Small Square Mid- 
dles, either boneless or with the rib in, are the next 
best articles adapted to this market. Some of the 
first arrivals of these, last year, were very fine, and 
met a prompt sale at 40s. to 42s. up to 44s., but 
the subsequent immense shipments were of such 
mixed, and commonly of such soft, inferior quality, 
and also of such large sizes, that not only did the 
market for all kinds break down, but the character 
of American generally was injured, and even the 
best articles swamped by the quantity of inferior. 
Boneless long middles should weigh about 40 lbs. 
to 50 lbs. each, the smaller preferred. Short-square 
middles from 18 lbs. to 25 lbs. each. All bacon is 
best packed in well-seasoned boxes, to contain 
about 3 cwt. 
Hams, this year, have come of superior cut and 
cure ; but the bulk are still obnoxious to the seri- 
ous objection of over saltness. This is a fault so 
fatal to a quick sale, that it ought studiously to be 
avoided ; less than one half the salt would be 
sufficient, nor when packed for export need there 
be beyond a very slight sprinkling put into the cask. 
In the past season, heavy losses have accrued in 
consequence of the late period at which large 
quantities of hams arrived. There is always a 
falling off in the demand towards the end of July; 
it is therefore unsafe to venture on shipments after 
June. We had a brisk demand at 40s. to 46s. for 
the best sorts up to the 1 0th of July, whereas, since 
then, all kinds have been nearly unsaleable at 30s. 
Some smoked-dried small-sized hams, of excellent 
quality and handling, arrived last January, and met 
a ready sale at 64s. Dried hams should be from 
10 lbs. to 14 lbs. each, in casks of 5 to 6 cwt. 
Hams in salt should be from 15 lbs. to 25 lbs. 
each. Long-cut are in all cases preferred. 
Shoulders should be as mild as possible, the 
weightier the better; and if the whole neck end 
of the side be left on, they bring 2s. to 3s. more 
money. 
Tierce Middles, Strips, and all Pickled Meats, for 
domestic use, have been in singularly bad demand 
throughout the past season, and still continue so. 
We are unable satisfactorily to account for this, 
unless it be from the abundance of, and low prices 
ruling for, other middles. The sizes best.suited for 
sale here, are 10 to 15 middles per tierce of 336 
lbs. Strips generally run too fat by at least half, 
and are in consequence now quite neglected. 
Prime Mess Pork has been a losing article. 
Some few of the first arrivals of New York and 
Baltimore brands, came of prime quality and brought 
remunerative prices. But almost all the western 
brands have come particularly bad, defective in 
cure, wretched in color, and the meat soft and 
inferior. The pressure to sell them caused the 
market to give way, and the subsequent glut of 
similar inferior kinds, prevented all hopes of a 
rally, and operated most injuriously upon both the 
character and prices of American pork. The stock 
still on hand is very considerable. Fair good 
quality, though offered at 40s., and the inferior 
descriptions, though offered at 32s. to 34s. per bar- 
rel, find few buyers; whereas, had the article been 
of really prime quality, all would have cleared off 
at 50s. and upwards. The chief defect in almost 
all American prime mess pork, is in the color. In- 
stead of being the bright, cherry-red, characteristic 
of skilfully-pickled meat, it is a dirty, dull, un- 
sightly brown. That this is remediable, and arises 
in the manufacture, is proved by some few brands 
coming otherwise. But unless it be obviated, the 
preference will continue to be given to Irish 
and Hambro', (although inferior meat,) at much 
higher prices. A sale of 950 barrels of Hambro' 
prime mess was made last week at 65s. to a house 
who previously examined every parcel of Ameri- 
can in the market, and declined all — a startling 
proof of the necessity of greater attention to color 
and quality. 
Beef needs little remark. The great bulk of the 
large shipments, last year, came of excellent color 
and quality, and though prices lowered in conse- 
quence of the quantity arriving, yet the stock has 
been nearly all got through, and the character of the 
American beef confirmed as being superior to the 
Irish. The absence of the usual government con- 
tract, this year, (owing to a sufficiency in store,) 
will cause the Irish shippers to compete for a share 
of the trade. But at about present rates we expect 
a large demand for the best kinds of American. 
Pigs' 1 Tongues, which heretofore were liable to a 
duty of 7s. per cwt., have, upon our representation 
to the Lords of the Treasury, been allowed to pass 
duty free. 
Lard has been in considerable less consumption 
the last eight months, arising chiefly from the seri- 
ous reduction in the prices of butter and tallow ; 
both these articles continue low, and disappoint the 
sanguine expectations of many as to a smart ad- 
vance in' lard. The experience of the past season 
proves that lard in white kegs, refined in the states, 
does not answer. The English refiners turn out a 
neater and firmer article, having the advantage of a 
delivery at once to the dealers, without the liability 
of heating and injury on the passage. These kegs 
