Class III.]

PORTABLE SOUPS, COXCEXTPwVTEI) MEATS, &c.

05

to the English , but exhibited in small quantity and in novariety. Honourable Mention is made of them. The New-castle (N.S.W. ) Preserving Company (7, p. 989) contri-butes admirable boiled mutton in tin cases, whose especialgoodness is evidently owing to the excellence of the ma-terial, for the process is the ordinary one, and its pecu-liarities are the same as the English . A Prize Medal hasbeen awarded the Company. Some excellent spiced beefhams were exhibited by j. Briears (2a, p. 989), whichhave received Honourable Mention.

Van Djkmen's Land sends excellent hams, preparedby Marshall, of llobarton, and exhibited by F. Lips-combe (297, p. 992), of which Honourable Mention ismade. Also good preserved meats prepared by Adcock,of llobarton (p. 992).

New Zealand . —Some dried mullets are exhibitedfrom this colony, cured for the China market, which ap-pear sound, but not high flavoured.

The Cape of Good Hope sends casks of salt beef andpork, both of good description.

France . —The collection of hermetically-sealed meatsis very extensive and good, hut differing from the English in the same degree as a French table differs from anEnglish one, namely, in the smaller quantities preserved,in their being generally made-dishes, and in a greater pro-portion being objects rather of luxury than of commonuse. A Prize Medal has been awarded to Guihery,Des Landelles, & Co. (1262, p. 1237), for a very fineseries of preserved meats and vegetables, and to Chkvet,jun. (121, p. 1177), for preserved meats and vegetables,especially truffles. Of the latter there are many exhi-bitors in the French Department, and all are good. Ho-nourable Mention is made of the “ mouton ruti,” andsardines in oil, of J. Pf.neau (950, p. 1225), also of thepreserved game of Gremailly (246, p. 1188).

For vegetables in particular, Honourable Mention ismade of the preserved green peas of F. Rouchier & Son(994, p. 1226), and of the salsafy of Rodel Sc Son* (992,p. 1226), which were the two best amongst many samplesof all kinds of preserved vegetables exhibited by them inthis department.

Fish are abundantly exhibited, and the Jury havemade Honourable Mention of the sardines in oil of A.Gillet (521, p. 1204), Pellier Brothers (948, p.1218), and M. Cajius (789).

Austria is almost the only other contributor of freshmeats preserved by hermetically sealing. HonourableMention is made of the preserved larks of C. Weill(25).

Spain sends a good supply of beef, pork, bacon, andhams, all of excellent quality. The hams are particu-larly good, especially the Montanchis hams (139b, p.1337), to which a Prize Medal is awarded: it is exhibitedby, and sent from, the Borough of Aviles. There isalso some good Spanish salt butter.

Lubeck contributes a selection of hermetically-sealedprovisions in tin cases, all very good. A Prize Medal isawarded to the exhibitor, D. II. Carstf.ns (2, p. 1140).

Switzerland. — Some fish and meats dried and pre-served in a fresh state by simple desiccation, are very re-markable. They are exhibited by II. Baup (52, p. 1269,1270\ to whom a Prize Medal is awarded. They wantflavour, and are discoloured, but both the muscle and fat ofthe meat are perfectly sweet and fresh. Simplicity andcheapness of preservation are the great recommendationsof these articles, to which may be added the absence ofany foreign matter. They wilL apparently keep well, huttliej* want testing by exposure to a damp tropical cli-mate, and by confinement in bulk.

Russia eidiibits dried fish, apparently in exceedinglygood order.

United States . —The haras are of a very superiordescription indeed, and have been pronounced by com-petent judges to be unsurpassable. Prize Medals havebeen awarded to two contributors of this article, CharlesDuffield, of Louisville (363, p. 1459), and Schooleyand Hough, of Cincinnati (200, p. 1449). The lard is

* These exhibitors were awarded a Prize Medal by theJury of Class XXIX., in whose list their names appear.

exceedingly fine, and Honourable Mention is made of thatof G. Dominic (21, p. 1434), also by Jury of Class IV.

H. II.— Portable Soups, Concentrated Meats, &c.

A more simple, economical, and efficient form of portableconcentrated food than the American meat biscuit of GailBorden (524, p. 1467) has never been brought beforethe public. The inventor combines the best wheat flourwith the nutriment of the finest beef, and presents themfor use as food in the form of a dry, inodorous, flat brittlecake, which will keep, when dry, for an unlimited pe-riod. It only requires hot water and seasoning to thetaste to produce a first-rate agreeably-flavoured, highly-nutritious soup, somewhat of the consistence of sago.One pound of the biscuit contains the nutritive matter(fat excepted) of five pounds of prime beef, mixed withhalf a pound of the best wheat flour. One ounce of thebiscuit grated, and boiled in a pint of water, forms a richnutritious soup. It is averred by the inventor, and he issupported by authority satisfactory to the Jury, that 10pounds of this substance, with a proper allowance ofwater, afford, both in bulk and nutriment, food sufficientto support the physical and mental powers of a healthyworking man for a month. The Jury further believe itto be as portable and unehangable us the inventor de-clares.

Chemical analysis shows the proportion of meat tostarch to vary in different samples, hut that in all casesthe meat is perfectly sound and free from putridity, andthe starch unaltered. On an average it contains 4 9 percent, of nitrogen, or 31*85 per cent, of flesh-forming prin-ciples. A Council Medal is awarded to this excellentpreparation of Mr. Gail Borden .

The osmazome of G. Waurtner (Cl. III., 21, p. 202) isthe nutritious matter or juice of meat which is set freeduring the operation of boiling down fat for tallow inAustralia . This is afterwards concentrated and preservedin the form of sausages. A great amount of nutriment isthus obtained in a portable form, and when boiled with,gelatine, it forms a palatable diet. The price is verymoderate, Is. per lb,, and it hence commands a market,and is much used to form a gravy to meat. The exhi-bitors declare that one pound weight is the equivalent ofthe nutriment of 30 lbs. of fibrine, which argues a higheconomic value. Chemical examination gives 2*1 percent, of nitrogen, or 13*65 per cent, of flesh-formingprinciple. Honourable Mention was awarded.

Du Liscokt & Co.’s “ biscuit beef,” in the French De-partment ( 1328, pp. 1239,1340), in form resembles ordinarycoarse ship-biscuit, of a large size, and has an animal, salt,and not very agreeable taste. It is exhibited in twoforms, the ordinary biscuit above mentioned, and anothermarked P., which is to be ground up and boiled, 30 or 40minutes, as soup. 600 grammes (equal to 1*322 lbs.avoir.) are stated to be the equivalent of a soldier’scomplete daily rations.

Preserved Milks . —Several specimens of these valu-able preserves, possessing various degrees of merit, havebeen submitted to the attention of the Jury. Of these the“Concentrated Preserved Milk” of E. D. Moore (139,p. 193*) has received a Prize Medal. It contains all thenutritious qualities and much of the flavour of fresh milk.J. II. Gamble (12, p. 201), and Ritchie and McCall(15, p. 202), both exhibit preserved milks in hermetically-sealed cases, but the samples from each vary considerablyin quality.

Honourable Mention is made of Martin de Lignac’sconsolidated milk, France (922, p. 1224). That of V.B. Fadeuilhe (Cl. III., 140, p. 193*) is also worthy ofnotice as a curious preparation; but it appears to attractmoisture, and has a decided flavour of cheese. Thepreparation of Oudin & Co., of Paris (1375, p. 1242), andthe Lubeck preserved milk (2, p. 1140), are too muchsugared.

II. III. and IV.— Caviare, Trepang, &c. Swallows’Nests, &c.

Russian caviare of the very finest quality is exhibitedby Nikita Vseyolodowitch Vsivolosjky (33S, p. 1382).It receives Honourable Mention.

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