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promulgated by the Danish Government, and, if the system works out in
practice as well as it looks on paper, there ought to be no more complaints as
to the soundness of meat imported from that country. This consists of beef,
of which the quality is "middling" to "fair"; mutton, some of which is
indifferent, but the greater part "very useful"; and pork of varying size
and quality, with carcasses of veal generally too large to be graded "first class,"
but of undoubted soundness. Belgium has remained in the same unsatisfactory
position; there may be some sort of inspection at the place of
slaughter, but if so, it is of so nebulous and uncertain a character, that for all
practical purposes we on this side must regard all Belgium products as
"not inspected."
4. Cattle Imported Alive and Slaughtered at Deptford and
Elsewhere.—This is a branch of the trade which by its very nature could
not fail to make itself attractive to carcass butchers. A man requiring
50 or 100 bullocks finds them classified and graded to suit the particular
branch of the trade which he has made it his study to cultivate, and the
purchase of such a lot is effected at one transaction without the loss of time
involved amongst home-grown stock in picking them up in two's and three's
from a number of separate sellers ; then in the provision of slaughterhouses,
cooling sheds, refrigerators, &c., the Corporation has done everything in its
power to foster and encourage business, with the result that while the British
Cattle Market languishes, the one devoted to Foreign trade thrives. For a
brief period during the summer there was a check, and another again at
Christmas. The latter of these was attributable to an outbreak of foot-andmouth
disease ; the first was stated to have arisen from the financial panic
which so upset the United States, or it may have been an attempt on the part
of the cattle dealers to force up prices ; it is, however, probable that the real
cause will be found where it is likely to recur with increasing frequency, viz.,
in a genuine scarcity of beef. The requirements of America for home
consumption are greater now than ever, while owing to the land being taken
up for building railways and other purposes, the sources of supply are
constantly being pushed further West, which means increased cost in reaching
the seaboard ; consequently, those who want low-priced beef must look
elsewhere than to America for it. Of the cattle which Canada has sent,
those from the Eastern States have shown some improvement in quality and
condition, while those from Manitoba and the Western portions of the
Dominion are imperfectly made up, of irregular age and very wild, the natural
result of having passed all their lives on the ranches ; yet they furnish a
lot of good food at a moderate price. Argentine cattle are still prohibited
from coming alive, a fact which is in some respects to be regretted, as the sale
and slaughter of them, with the conversion of the hides, fats and offals into
commercial products would afford work for a great many men, while the
heads, livers, &c., would be useful, cheap food for the poorer classes. The
length of time which has elapsed since any outbreak of foot-and-mouth
disease in Argentina seems to reduce the risk almost to vanishing point.
Very few sheep have come, and those few of indifferent quality. The importation
of Argentine sheep to Antwerp, where they are slaughtered for the