NOTES FOR GRAZIER AND DEALER.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9603, 18 December 1896, Page 2

NOTES FOR GRAZIER AND DEALER.

By Straggler. A movement is being made in Victoria to establish a Stud Sheep Bock, which will doubtless be compiled on lines similar to the New Zealand Flock Book. In New South Wales prime show crossbred wethers were selling in the middle of November at 7s 9d to 8s 4d. In Victoria prices for similar sheep were 8e to 9b, prime lambs making 6s 6d to 7s 6d.

Mr H. C. Cameron, our old fellow colonist, writes a most interesting letter to the editor of the Otago Daily Times on the frozen meat question. On the question of branding and grading, he says that the term " Canterbury " certainly is the name by which the finest New Zealand mutton is known at Smithfield. Canterbury mutton means only sheep sent Home from Canterbury province and branded accordingly. Others are sold as "Southlands," "Dunedins," "Wellingtons," or "Napiers." In respect to purchases of large lines the bnyer probably does not buy from sample; he simply buys on the brands, says Mr C, and it would greatly surprise New Zealanders who know the breeding and quality of the sheep sent Home from the various districts to find how little real knowledge of the quality of frozen mutton in the carcase the majority of the buyers in England have. Hung out 100 sheep bearing the Canterbury brand, and 100 from the same parcel bearing any other brand, and the Canterbury brand will sell at more money. He says this ignorance on the part of buyers affords room for dealers perpetrating frauds by re-covering cheap, inferior mutton with Oantehsfcury bags and attaching Canterbury tags. JHe knows this is done. Then, speaking for himself, he says : " I cannot see any difference between Canterburys, Dunedins, or. Southlands if equally well graded," and goes on to say that more attention is now paid by our refrigerating companies to this matter than was formerly the case. The brand is what sells the article, and must be maintained at an evenly high- standard. So far he has dealt with the wholesale trade. The retail is different. In this case brand matters not if the article supplied to consumers is of prime quality. Consumers know the name Canterbury as meaning the first quality of New Zealand meat, and butchers take advantage of this and advertise inferior River Plate and Australian mutton as Canterbury. This is the conclusion of his letter, and it is well worth attention :— I enclose a handbill now being circulated by a butcher in one of the poor districts in Manchester, advertising that he sells "Canterbury" mutton—legs 4d and 4£d, shoulders 3£d and 4d, &c. —when at the same time the wholesale market price for Canterbury mutton is 3gd to 4d per lb in London. Then, all over the: district there are butchers calling themselves "The Canterbury Meat Company," "The Eclipse Meat Company," " The New Zealand Meat Company," &c, selling the most inferior mutton they can get at low prices >n the poor localities. Poor New Zealand ! Her own mutton is too good to sell as the genuine article, and is sold as English, whilst she lends her name to further the sale of all the inferior stuff that is sent to the Home market in competition with her. If this is not true, why do so many butchers use the names and advertise in the manner I mention ? No wonder I find prejudice against New Zealand mutton strong and hard to break down, and that I advocate New Zealand producers making a combined effort to thoroughly push the introduction of the genuine article to the consumers in this country. To give you an instance of the extent to which the breeding of fine stock in the Argentine is being carried, nine bulb bred in the country by a native estanciero, Don Manuel J. Aguirre, of tho estancio " El Chaja," were sold during the first week in August at Messrs Bullrich's auction yard at an average of $3355, or considerably over £200 apiece ; and yet there will be imported before the end of the season upwards of 200 of the best bulls to be obtained in England for money. One would imagine that with all the bulls and rams imported into the country within the last ten years that there would be sufficient for all our wants ; not so, however, for the more that come the more eager is the competition. You hear men say in the auction yard (says a writer in the Review) " this sort of thing can't go on ; we've got as good bulls in this country as are bred in England." But nevertheless it does go on, and there is hardly an estancia where there is not one or more imported bull.

English cowkeepers are establishing records of prolonged milking terms. A correspondent of the Live Stock Journal mentions that he had a Jersey cow which milked six years without having a calf. She was a remarkably deep milker, but slinked her calves so regularly that it was determined to part with her. But she was a bag of, bones, and every winter the owner tried to dry her, all to no purpose ; and when the grass came she started again in full milk. After over six years' rest she brought a live calf, and died when over seventeen years old, in calf.

Agricultural shows were originated for the purpose of affording object Icmom to the

rural population a* to what are the most useful and profitable of farm produce and live stock, and thus to effect an improvement in the agriculture and husbandry of the country. From the first side-shows crept in, and they have increased to such an extent as to usttrp nearly the whole of the show. In the United States these sideshows have increased very rapidly of late years, and their tendency has been anything but conducive to the morals of the rural population. Indecent exhibitions have become common, the nature of which may be guessed when it was publicly announced that boys and girls under 15 years of age would not be admitted. This evil became so pronounced at last that it roused the Puritan element that is a strong feature in the character of the Americans, and stringent measures have been adopted to suppress side-shows altogether. In come instances the reformers have gone too far, for they have prohibited the sale of all intoxicating liquors, while what are described as refreshments are permitted to be sold. There are to be cakes, but no ale. In Victoria (writes the Australasian) we have as yet not many side-shows at our agricultural exhibitions, but they are gradually occupying the greater part of time devoted to the show. During the forenoon the judging takes place, and the majority of the visitors do not arrive till this is over. Then comee the show luncheon, at which political speeches are made. This occupies the time until the horse-jumping commences, and when that is over, it is time to go home. It is no exaggeration to say that many hundreds of country people attend agricultural shows, and beyond inspecting some section or class in which they have a personal interest they leave the ground in the evening knowing no more of the exhibits than if they had stayed at home. Listening to the speeches inside or outside the luncheon tent and attending to the jumping trials (where they barrack like footballers for their favourites) occupy the whole of their time. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is true enough, and there should be some fun at a country show, but the amusements should not override the object for which the show was instituted. The horse-jumping we cannot do without, but it might be got through much more expeditiously and not take up the -whole afternoon. Why political speeches were introduced at our agricultural shows is more than I can tell. They cannot be classed as either agricultural or husbandry, and none but an escapee from the Yarra Bend would describe them as an amusement.

During the past week the prospects for the fat lamb trade have improved somewhat, and it is to be hoped that the better tone of last week's Addington market will be main, tamed even if not improved upon. Several private deals for forward delivery are reported, and there is a tendency on the part of the occasional speculators to profit by the seeming apathy of the regular export contingent. Mr A. Boyle (of Messrs Pyne and Co.) and Mr L. 0. Gardiner, the well-known sheep buyer, returned from England last week and, needless to say, were heartily welcomed by many friends.