DESIRABILITY OF VETERINARY CONTRACTS. 
737 
out access of air. Well, Tallerman's Australian meat can be 
eaten by food adventurers sufficiently strong-minded and 
heroic. Meantime, the system of canister preservation holds 
its ground, and with reason. These provisions are excellent 
in their way, but burdened with two grave and irreparable 
defects ; the first being the cost of tin plate enhancing the 
price of contents ; the second the defect of overcooking, an 
unavoidable necessity, for if the provisions be not overcooked, 
they putrify and will not keep. Knowing this fact, however, 
a rational cook can do much to obviate the defect. Perhaps 
the most satisfactory way of dealing with these canister-pre- 
served meats in summer time is to eat them cold with condi- 
ments; but if warmed up, only sufficient heat should be applied 
to warm them through. Nominally canister- meat preservers 
send joints roast as well as boiled, but call them by what 
name we will, boiling at a very high temperature constitutes 
an integral part of the preservatory operation. The process 
is simple as it is ingenious, the joint to be preserved being 
lodged in a canister just big enough to hold it, surrounded by 
water. The cover is soldered down, and a small steam hole 
pierced through it. The canister is next submitted to a very 
high temperature in a bath of chloride of calcium, and after 
a time, whilst steam rushes violently through the aperture, 
the latter is adroitly soldered, thus making all air-tight. To 
conduct this operation properly it is necessary to continue 
application of heat for a few moments after soldering the 
aperture. These are moments of great danger, for steam 
pressure accumulating, the whole canister may explode, — has 
indeed been known to explode with fatal results, a man 
having some years ago lost his life while superintending the 
finish of a turkey. Many sections of the London middle- 
classes have taken very readily to these canister provisions 
for economy. They are patronised by many of the rich for 
their good hash, entree , and soup-making qualities ; but, 
hitherto, the London lower orders are prejudiced against 
them. Not so the working classes of Lancashire, who con- 
sume those meats in ever-increasing quantities . — The Echo . 
ON THE DESIRABILITY OF VETERINARY CONTRACTS ON 
THE CLUB-DOCTOR SYSTEM. 
A Letter addressed to Colonel Luttrell by R. Neville- 
Grenville, M.P. 
“ My Dear Luttrell, 
“ It has often struck me that our numerous Agricultural 
