The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-30
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.

Exportetion of Cattle For Beef to Crest
Britain.
This is destined to become an immense and
highly profitable branch of business, as soon
az arrangements are made for properly con-
Quoting it. The first of these, we think,
should be the building of suitable steamships
for the sole purpose of transporting cattle
across the Atlantic. The model of such we
leave to the shpwright but in passing would
saw, that the greater the width OF the BEEN
in proportion to the length of hull, the more
comfortably and economically the animals
could be carried. The present class of freight
and passenger steamships sailing from New
York and other Atlantic ports, are entirely
too sharp built and narrow for the profitable
transportation of cattle.
In addition to an extra bredth of beam, we
would make the ship somewhat wall-sided,
as this would greatly lend to prevent rolling,
which is a far more wearing and fretful mo-
ton to animals on rough ocean, than that
of pitching fore and aft.
As live stock can be had in any quantity in
America for transportation to Europe, the
largest class of vessels may be BULL with
perfect certainty that they will always find
plenty OF freight at good paying rates. No
country abroad can successfully compete with
us in the rearing and breeding OF all sorts of
improved domestic animals, we can therefore
ACdlly uuOiOpOuLC tAC DIlbiSu ludIhSb, lOE IL
is superior quality of live stock which is
most wanted there, and which not only COM
mands the highest prices, but is invariably
taken in preference to inferior sorts.
The few shipments hitherto made to Great
Britain of cattle for beef have been so igno-
rantly and imperfectly conducted, as to sesult
oftener in loss rather than gain. Ifproper
arrangements are now made, they may be
transported for two-thirds to perhaps one. half
ofT etsl <xsx, II,
ship owners fair profit on the Transports
ton. This would enable the American farm
er to offer his animals in the foreign market
at comparatively low price, and thus IN
creas the demand for them. Another great
advantage would ensue from adopting i'm
proved methods of shipment, and that Is,
the animals might gain infesh during the
whole voyage rather than lose, as they now
generally do, and this on PRECISELY the
same kind of food, and at exactly the same
cost.
Great Britain and Ireland have been paying
terrible price for many years past on the
importation of cattle from the continent of
Europe, for it is those which have brought
over the fatal diseases that have destroyed so
many of their herds, and rendered cattle pur-
chasing from abroad, as we'll as breeding and
rearing at home, SO hazardous and unfortu-
nate. The losses from these foul fatal dis
eases may he reckoned up in a single decade
at millions Of pounds sterling. From Amer
lea the United kingdom would have nothing
to tear; our cattle are healthy and will be
kept SO. This consideration alone would en-.
able us TO obj ain the preference in the British
market, and insure us quick and profitable
sales for auy number, not only of beef cattle,
but of improved domestic animals of all kinds,
that we might please to xport.-AmericGn
Agriculturist.