TOE 
Agriculture is the most healthful, the most useful, and the most 
noble employment of Man.— Washington . 
VOL, II. NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 15, 1843. _ NO- X. 
A. B. Allen, Editor. Saxton & Miles, Publishers, 205 Broadway. 
PACKING PROVISIONS FOR A FOREIGN MARKET. 
The packing of Beef and Pork for a foreign 
market, is almost entirely a new business which 
has sprung up in our country within the year past. 
This is the result of the late modification of the 
British Tariff, which now admits our provisions 
at a more moderate duty than formerly, and en¬ 
ables the packers at the west to put up Beef, Pork, 
and Lard, to a large extent, in those districts 
where heretofore they were obliged to drive their 
animals at a very considerable expense, (not unfre- 
quently a ruinous one,) a great distance to a mar¬ 
ket on the seaboard. By packing near where ani¬ 
mals are bred, they can be grown to a larger size, 
and be made of a better quality; the provisions, 
also, can be delivered on board ship for exporta¬ 
tion, either dried or pickled, at a cheaper rate 
than when the graziers are obliged to drive their 
beasts long distances to a market. It is a subject, 
therefore, of congratulation, that the fertile districts 
of the west can do their own packing, and there¬ 
by enhance at home the value of their abundant 
products. 
Not only have the towns on the Ohio and Mis¬ 
sissippi rivers gone extensively into this business, 
but those on the lakes also seem to be following 
rapidly in their wake; more especially in the 
article of Beef, of which we notice large quantities 
are now putting up, particularly at Cleveland and 
Chicago, expressly for the English market. At 
the latter place, it is said not to be uncommon to 
pack 500 to 700 barrels of Beef per day during the 
busy season. The prices for cattle range there 
from $1.50 to $2.00 per hundred ; and were the 
animals of an improved breed, so that more mess 
pieces could be cut from their briskets, and larger 
and thicker rounds be taken from their quarters, 
we are told that the packers could afford to pay 
25 to 30 per cent, more for cattle than they now 
do. Half a cent to three fourths per pound, makes 
a difference of from three to seven dollars per 
head for each beast, which is a matter of great 
importance to the stock-grower in the aggregate. 
Good bulls are very cheap at present, and by the 
use of these now, rapid improvements can be made 
at a small cost. We trust that all those, then, 
who have no other motive than their own imme¬ 
diate interest, will take the subject of improving 
their stock into serious consideration, and act with 
reference to it. They should begin at once, and 
pursue their object with a steady, enlightened 
judgment, determined on continued improvement. 
No finer region exists for the production of Beef 
than that bordering the lakes. The prairie grass 
seems admirably adapted to this purpose, as is 
