PRESERVED MEATS.

Evening Star, Issue 2851, 9 April 1872, Page 3

PRESERVED MEATS.

om the Press.) We make no apology for again reverting to the subject of preserved meats, as this article of produce is speedily assuming firstrate importance upon our list of exports. A great number of provincial and metropolitan journals received by mail from England have treated of the subject at more or less length ; but it appears to us that by far the most exhaustive paper is contained in the Produce Markets' lie view, a London journal, the contents of which evince considerable ability. We intend to lay befoic our readers some of the more salient points which merit more than ordinary prominence. In the lirst place, for the week ending November 4, no less than 23,000 cases arrived, calculated as weighing between 700 or 800 tons. The producers of Australia and New Zealand, however are reminded that this meat trade, to be a large one will have to be conducted at low rates and at small profits; and that it is not n trade of 700 tons a week that will suffice hut one of 10,000 a week, and even at that rate the demand would probably be only one-fifth of the trade in fresh meat. But because this yield is somewhat remote, it is justly argued that the present sudden demand should not be used as an opportunity for running prices up, and killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Indeed it appears that some such combination has already been attempted, a step which, if carried out, would prove fatal to the enterprise. During the week quoted above, a further advance was noticeable of 4a to id per lb, and the quantity afloat at that date was estimated! at 30,003 cases. They further recommended that as great regularity as possible should be imperative m the weight of the tins, since liberality on this point would do much to gam the goodwill of the retail trade and of the public, and a case should weigh somewhat over rather than under its nominal weight. It is further estimated that the number of sheep in Australasia is 42,000,003, and jo horned cattle at 4,000,000, whereas the sheep in the United Kingdom arc 32,786,783 and cattle, 9,235,052. Taking sheep at an average of OOlbs each, and cattle 6501b5, it ivill be seen that the British flock would represent 3,553,561 tons cf meat, while the Australian and New Zealand would be 2,724,642. The population Of the United Kingdom, m 1870, was 30, 829 674, for which the British sheep and oxen would average 2581bs per head. The population of Australasia was 1.84/,789, and the proportion of estimated weight of sheep and oxen per head was thus 3,0031hs per head, or 12Ji times the British proportion. Supposing the British meat consumers to number 20,000,000, their annual consumption at gib per head per day, would be 2,400,000 tons per annum. Taking the Australian meat consumers at 1,500.000, and their daily consumption lijlb per head, it would amount to 362,000 tons per annum. The proportion of the consumption to the weight of the British flocks of sheep and oxen would thus be approximately 68 per cent. On the other hand the proportion in Australia would only be 14 per cent. The old stock left annually in Great Britain would be about one-third of the whole, or 1,200,000 tons. In Australia, in the same way, if one third ®f the stock were old, and required for breeding or other purposes, it would weigh 800,000, and this added to the consumption would be say—l,2oo,ooo, or nearly one-half of the supplv, which would not he available Jor export. Another fact is worthy of notice ; it is this, that the production of wool renders it profitable to keep the animals till a certain age before killing them. On fully-stocked sheep mns it is contended that where there is no further opportunity for increasing the number, as a general rule about 40 per cent, of the sheep are killed ; and if the whole of the country now taken up for sheep runs were fully stocked, this would amount to 500.000 tons of mutton in the year. In the same way about 15 per cent, of the horned cattle could be killed, which would yield say 250.000 tons of beef. And the conclusion from the above-named considerations is that as the production of meat can he carried on from the flocks which are now almost exclusively used for the production of tallow and of wool, and without materially interfering with the production of these two commodities, if the British public will take to the use of preserved meat, an enormous advantage will he bestowed upon the stockowners. Another point is that as flocks are often driven down to the coast, where boil-ing-down establishments are erected, the system could be easily extended, and a “tinning” department added. And with such prospects it is anticipated that in the course of the next five-and-tweuty years, Australia and New Zealand could produce a million tons per annum.