Year: 1876

From the London Daily Standard Jan. %.


An invention has now been tested to ali eX-
tent which leaves no doubt that fresh meat can
be, as it has been, imported from Canada and
the United States and be sold and eaten here
without the consumer knowing he has not been
enjoying cut from prime 'ScOt.' Retriger-
alton, though the meat Is not actually frozen,
best describes the process, which has the merit
of extreme simplicity and of leaving the meat
absolutely unaltered both in flavor and appear
ance. The cattle intended for shipment are
killed a day or two before the vessel starts,
great care being taken to extract all the blood.
After the carcass is cut up the quarters are
sewn up in canvas and conveyed to a compart-
ment in the hold of the only line of vessels
Gulon's stcamers-as yet fitted up for the pur-
pose. Here the quarters of meat are Sung so
us to swing clear and allow free passage of
air all around them. Tanks round the COM
partment are filled with ice sufficient to keep
the temperature of the air down to thirtv-seven
degrees during the passage, and constant mo-
ton and circulation is maintained by the action
OF large fan worked by steam. The effect of
keeping meat in this dry, cold atmosphere for
ten or twelve days is so to harden and sodifv
the surface that at the end of the passage it is
more marketable in appearance than when first
Killed. Some forty tons sent as first expert
ment were forwarded by special train direct
from Liverpool to the central meat market at
Smithfeld, and found a ready sale at top prices.
AS matter of experiment, sheep and pigs have
been sent in a similar way, with result emf
nently satisfactory to those who are looking
forward to the development of large trade,
All the meat has reached market in splendid
condlton-coO, dry, firm, and free from the
slightest taint; and it has been hard to con-
vince experienced butchers and statesmen who
saw it for the first time what they We're in
specting. The inventors Of this very proms-
ing process are Messrs. Eastman & Martin, of
New York, Mr.. J. A. Lippincott, also of New
York, having successfully applied the principle
so far as it has gone, Mr.. j. ID. Link, of Liver
pool and the Central Meat Market, being the
agent here. The capacity of the compartments
SO fitted in the Guion steamer is about 200 tons.
The consignments now beng sent every week
amount to fifty tons, and the supply is now in
process of rapid development to the maximum
which the present arrangements will allow of
200 tons weekly. The trial has now been suffi-
ciently extended to demonstrate the scientific
value of the process. Indeed, it is easy to con-
ceiye that in compartment maintained at 80
low temperature, with air keep perfectly dry
and pure, decomposition might be almost indie.
finitely arrested, and that meat might hang for
weeks, not only without injury, but with posi-
tive benefit accruing from keeping, in rendering
the fiber tender and easily masticated. The
cattle which so far have been tried to test the
experiment whether American beef suits Eng
lish palates are bred in the Western State of
Iowa, the carcasses averaging 100 stone. OF
the commercial value of the trade the consign-
ers ought to be the best judges, and they ex-
press themselves perfectly satisfied with the re-
suit so far.