The sun., 1895-04-01
HORSE MEAT IN GERMANY.
Consul TinElo Points Out q Great Oppor
= tunity for American Packers.

= tunity for Anne ricnn Packers.
WASHINGTON. March 3l.-One of tho most
striking novelties In recent consular reports ro-
ceived at the State Department is the deliber-
ate recommendation of a United States Consul
that American packers should turn their atten-
tion to shipping horse flesh to Germany.
I'm view Of the prohibition Of German mar
ketslto American cattle. there is another direc-
tion toward which American packers might
we'll turn their attention. That Is the prepara-
tion and sale of horse meat"
This is the opening paragraph Of 4 report Just
received from Consul Edward w. s. TinGle at
Brunswick. Germany. Mr.. Tingle adds:
while exact statistics as to the consumption
of horse meat are difficult to obtain, 1t seems
that it is almost as great as that Of beef or NUT
ton in the large cities OF Germany. In smaller
cities. where there is some prejudice against
horse meat. the consumption is about one-third
that of beef, but in these places the of horse
meat is growing daily. Its consumers are e1-
clusively Of the poorer classes, but they COM
prise nine -tcnths of the consumers of the coun-
try. Beef and other trst-class meats cost from
fifteen to twenty-five cents per pound in Ger
many and are out of the reach of the average
workman, who receives seventy-tive cents or 81
per day."
The demand for horse meat has grown to such
an extent that it is beginning to be difficult to
supply 1t. and this Is where the opportunity for
the American packer comes In. according TO Mr..
Iingle; Formerly the German butcher had little
difficulty in procuring for slaughter horses
which were either worn out or injured so Es to
be worthless but the supply Of this class OF ami
mails is about exhausted. and horses for butcher
they could be had for from s. to $40. The conse-
tached to horse meat. the butcher finds he must
raise his prices.
"Horses." says Mr.. Tingle. lean be raised In
tho United States much cheaper than cattle.
They can be slaughtered by any OF the American
packing houses as easily as CATTLE and they can
be shipped alive ACROSS the sea much more easily
than cattle. and can be sold either on tho hoof
or dressed at price certainly greater than seven
cents pound. The meat is consumed in Ger
many In both salted and smOk ed state. With the
astonishingly rapid d;suse of horses in America,
their raising, especially West, is far from being
the profitable industry IL was. II the ranchman,
however. can make the raising OF horses for
food profitable. why should he not do it !?
Tho subject is Of twofold interest to
the American packer. whose beef and
beef products are now excluded from the Ger
man market, and to the horse raiser. whose in
vested capital brings him in very unsa atisfactory
returns. The prejudice against eating horse
meat is 80 great in our country that there will
probably never be- demand for meat OF this
kind but there 10 no reason why American
packers ana rRnchmen should not take advan-
tage OF the existence of u different state of
things In another country to found what can be
made very profitable industry and extensive
export trade"