The British King's Meat Cargo.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4747, 18 July 1883, Page 3

The British King's Meat Cargo.

LONDON OPINIONS,

The* following extraots from a London letter* have been placed at cur disposal for publication ■— London, May 80. Frozen Meat per British Kin*.— F have seen some oarcases in Leadenhall Market. It was no use my going to the Docks, I should not have seen it so well there. It looks fairiy well, but has that moist, dewy appearance whioh English householders do not like, and the fat had rather, where tho skin was broken, a disintegrated look. The butoher, however; whose price list I send you, does not think badly of it, nor iadeed do I see why he should. I have just returned from the Imithfield Market, and I find that come carcasses sold tnere this morning at 6s per stone of 81b, and seeing that English mutton sold to-day at 6s Bd, this is a very good price. I need not say that the consignees of tbe Canterbury shipment only feed the market gradually, and it does not at all follow that the whole shipment oan be placed at the above prioes ; 4s or 8 j 8d may be the figure to-morrow. May 31. — I think it is pretty certain that these oarcases, after ooming out of the refrigerator, must be scld sharply — at least the dealers think so, for they aocept lower prices rather than have meat on hand. I hope to get jou some further information before the mail closes. June 1. — Having discovered the salesmen who had the bulk of the British King's paroel fer sale, I went np this morning to the market, and was fortunate in being able to see one of the firm. He said the meat ■ was good, the steamer had brought it very well, and the prioes fetohed were good. Bat, unfortunately, in some instances there had been carelessness in putting up. Some carcases had been left too long before being frozen, and some had been frozen while the vital heat was still in then—one of the latter he showed me, smelling horribly, and green right through. There was nothing to show outside, but when tbe oaroase was out across then the mischief came out. The prices were not, he said, np to 54 per stone, but they did make 4s 4d, 4s 6d, 4* Bd, 4s lOd. I speak of the sound of course, and lamb brought up to 6s 9d. These are good paying prices, and it seems olear that if oare is taken in the preparation on your side, the voyage home offers ao difficulties. As tegards keeping sfter they have come out of the refrigerator, my Smithfield man differed from the Leadenhall man, and from another man I had spoken to upon this point. In the opinion of the Smithfield talesman they will keep a week, better in fact, he says, than English mutton will keep at this time of the year, though he admits they will drain more or less. I have notioed in Amerioan beef that wetness, whioh I now learn is oalled draining, but I do not know the cause of it.