Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-12-13
LIV { STOCK.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BEEF.

tinues to agitate the public .mlnd there. a
number of the leading journals connected
more or less with agriculture in Great Brit
ain, have sent representatives to TINS coifl-
try to look up this matter in detail, and re-
nort upon the status of beef and beef cattle
in the United States. The difficulty with
our neighbors on the other side OF the great
pond, seems to have been, they feared the
influx of American beef, live and dressed,
would carry the price there below the point
at which remuneratiye profits would accrue
to the feeders Of English beef.
Among tie journals who have had a rep
resentative in the United States looking up
the status Of the case and reporting what
he saw, the Scotsman, a leading Scottish
newspaper. has been prominent. We have
read his letters with interest, and as a rule
they have been pointed, truthful and peril
nent. In the Issue Of Oct. 81, the cores
pendent sums up the matter pretty fairly.
from an English standpoint. lie thinks
the immediate effect on British farming of
the importation OF American beef is not
likely to be SO very serious as at one time 1t
threatened to be but still it win exercise
an influence sufficiently poweriul-an in
fuence. too, that will be steadily growing
to demand that British farmers must strain
every nerve to fortify their defense against
the invader. But believes the 6 foreign
cut" will command perhaps a penny-two
cents-per pound less than third rate lslt-
Dish beef. The prime beef of England will
not be disturbed by the supply from abroad
but will still quietly continue to find its way
Into the consumption of the best English
families. 10 the latter clause Of the second
proposition we are willing to assent. There
Is no doubt but the more wealthy classes
will always buy British fed, tirst-elass beet
iust as our more wealthy class will buy our
thoroughly well fatted, high grade beef,
rather than that which is shipped longer or
shorter distances, already dressed, and
which, while entirely healthy, and much OF
a istirst-class SO far rs condition is concerned,
must. nevertheless, be sold at a much lower
price than that fresh killed, but, perhaps
little if any better in real quality.
We must, however, take exception to the
statement he makes that 1.-THE imported beef
must come into competition mainly with
the third rate aud inferior varieties of Brit
ish beef-the beef OF cows, bulls, and i'll
bred, ili-cared for steers and heifers." And
that the whole of the American beef that
may be imported is not likely to be equal in
quality even to third rate British beef.
This does not jibe with the market sales
of the better qualities-and none but upper
grades will bear export by us-of beef there
received, neither will it be borne out by the
\ testimony of English eSperts-cooks and
others-that our best beet is fully equal to
the best England can show.
1t is true we have a large amount of rough
beef cattle, Texans and others, so has Great
Britain, according to the testimony OF the
correspondent OF the Scotsman. This beef,
however. although not so excellent in the
prime parts, is nevertheless good and
healthy beef, but, it does not find its way to
English buyers except in the shape of bar
relied beef, and the primer parts as canned
beef.
The real question for OUR solution is. the
cost Of ocean transit. The business of ship
ping beef either alive or in the quarters, is
yet il new thing is has not yet passed. the
experimental stage. Nevertheless enough
has been done to show the projecI TO be tea
sible, and that American beef, either alive
or dead, can be landed in England, and COM
pare fnvorably with their tirst-class home
fed, so far as fairness and breeding is con-
cerned. Here, however, the comparison