MEAT. The growth of the live and dead meat trade, the facilities for shipping and preserv ing it fresh during long voyages, whether canned or simply in the quarters, is one of the wonders of modern civilization. Improved processes in the curing of salted meats is also as wonderful as it is interesting. The packing, preservation, and shipping of meats at all our great packing centers, is now carried forward continuously winter and summer, and on a scale of magni tude, astonishing to those who witness it for the first time. The patents for preservingmeats are various and numerous. Of over 100 processes, twenty-six are for preserving by drying, thirty one by excluding atmospheric air, nine by cov ering with an impervious medium, as collodion, fat, gelatine, paraffine, etc., and seven by inject ing with various salts. Freezing in bulk, and keeping the meat frozen by means of ice until it arrives at its ultimate destination, salting and barreling, salting and smoking, salting and dry ing, and canning are the only plans yet found, that give entire satisfaction combining, as they do, cheapness with integrity of quality. In 1871,the total export of meat and meat products, was in value as follows: Live animals and fowls $ 1,019,604 Pork 4,302,330 Hams and bacon 8,126,683 Beef 3,825,66f Preserved meats 208,362 $17,492,645 In 1877 our meat exports were as follows: Live animals $ 3,325,203 • Park and pork products 81,653,042 Fresh beef 4,552,523 Salt beef 2,050,952 Total $9?,,481,720 In 1878 our live stock exports amounted to $5,845,157; our hog products to $87,674,419: fresh beef, $5,009,856; and salt beef to $2,973,234.
These exports went principally to Great Britain, France, and other European States and the West Indies. Since that time our exports, especially of live and dead animals, have continued to increase. For the year ending March 1, 1880, the exports of live stock was of the value of $12,065,459, and of other food products, $374,568,342. For the year ending March 1, 1881, the export of live stock was of theralue of $20,681,738, and other food produets was exported to the value of $456,244,111. Early in the year 1881, eertain interested persons in Great Britain, got up a scare on Trichina in swine, and representations to the governments of Great Britain and France, resulted in an embargo upon the importation of hog products into France, and to the taking of strong ground by Great Britain. Almost before action was taken by the French government, the French Academy, showed the fallacy of the action, demonstrating that the single individual poisoned, was so by eating pork, born and killed on French soil. (See Trichina).