EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9737, 27 May 1897, Page 3

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

"Weekly Press and Referee." RIVKRINA FEOZSN MBAT COMPANY. The report of the directors of the Riverina Frozen Meat Company, read at the annua meeting on the 28th alt., showed that the balance at the credit of profit and loss account on the year's operations was £2429. The following was the list of stock treated since the opening of the works :— 1896-7. 1895.'6. Sheep frozen « 102,478 153,605 latnbe frozen .. «. _ 29,874 10,533 Sheep boiled - -. « 47,643 101,433 179,995 268,571 Legs, haunches, &c., shipped ... 37, W 501 " Cattle frozen ".. K . ' .. 233 150 The chairman, Mr John Cooke, pointed out that in little more than two years they had been instrumental in reducing the cost of treating and delivering mutton in London by 50%, and a Riverin% sheep-farmer could get his frozen carcases sent to London from Deniliquin for l|d per lb, while his Queensland brother had to pay lfd for similar services from the port of Bockhampton. AUSTRALIAN MUTTON AND LAMB. Mr Cooke went on to say that the company's " Hercules " brand still held the premier position in England for Australian mutton and lamb, and he was glad to say that the average weight per carcase of their mutton shipments for the pastseason had been well maintained, viz., 51£lb, as against 521b for the previous season. The average weight of lambs-had been 351b as against 341b, and their inside fat displayed an increase per head of thus indicating better condition' while the carcase itself more nearly met the requirements of the London market. They ought to aim at making Riverina crossbred lambs average 371b or 381b in order to successfully compete with Canterbury (N.Z.) sorts and thus realise top prices. He strongly recommended growers to devote special attention to the production of fine fat lambs, for which thß demand was likely to exceed the supply for some years to come. Only prime lambs would be handled by the company, as people who ate lamb invariably wanted the best article irrespective of price. Plain thin lambs were not wanted, and the difference in Value between this description and prime sorts had this season been as much as lid per pound. Mr Cooke pointed out that the system of freezing to very low temperatures* which they adopted at Deniliquin, had proved to be the best protection against injury, and he would welcome the decision of ship owners to keep their steamer holds at about 10 or .20° instead of 16 to 20°. THE MIDWINTER SHOW. Wo are pleased to notice that the committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association have adopted the " block test' in connection with the exhibits of fat sheep to be made'at the coming midwinter chow. This method of judging fat stock, before and after slaughtering, has aroused considerable interest at home, especially in connection with the show of the Smithfield Club, and there is no doubt it will be popular here. It is to be hoped that a careful record will be kept of the weights of carcase, fat, offal, &c, so that the test will be made as valuable as possible. The show, in spite of the adverse season for roots, promises to be a very good one, and the committee have been materially assisted in making arrangements by the generous way in which they have been met by Messrs Pyne and Co. and Matson. and Co., whose premises have been placed at the disposal of the committee. ' LUMPS ON A COW'S TEAT.- ---" G.LH." writes :—'• Kindly answer the following question in the Wbkkly Pkkss columns aa soon, as you can conveniently, do so. I have a dairy cow on one of whose teats are five or six hard white lumps not much raised above the surface of the teat. Can you tell'me what these are caused by or are symptoms of ? [It would be impossible to tell the exact nature of these lumps without a persona] examination by an expert, and it -might be advisable to hare the cow tested with tuberculin. If the cow is otherwise healthy and the lumps are not suppurating or caueing pain, probably they are, in the absence of an expert, best left alone.—Eo. F.]. THE DAIRY REGUX-ATIOHS. The efforts .made in Wellington and Christchurch to put in force the presentdairy, regulations show that some further legislation is necessary before a governing body can be formed under them to control the supply of milk. The regulations are ol an optional character, and unless the local bodies in each centre of population mutually agree to work together and share the cost of inspection, &c, the regulations are practically useless. In Auckland a Milk Board has been formed, the ;local bodies having agreed among themselves upon a financial basis. In Wellington the enforcement of the regulations has; been upset by a decision in the Supreme K Court to the effect that registration cannot be compelled, and that each local body can enforce the other regulations within its own area only. ■ The conference of local bodies in the Christ-, church district, seeing that united action cannot be taken under the present law has decided to apply to Parliament for power to have dairies registered and inspected upon a central basis such as is now the case with respect to slaughterhouses. The information we published last week showing the grave doubt that exists as to the freedom of our dairy herds from tuberculosis, should warrant an immediate alteration of the law so that a proper system of testing both catttle and milk and of inspecting dairies can be carried out. Until that is -done, the consumers.of.milk.will not be satisfied that the supply is all that it ought to be. DURHAM CATTLE. Mr E. Jdries, Sydney, writes and asks if there i& any difference between a Shorthorn and a Durham J, -..„■ [There is no difference so far ac we are aware. The breed was generally known at one time as " Durham Shorthorns," but of late years. " Durham " has been dropped. Pedigree cattle found in Durham herd books will also be found in later Shorthorn books.—Ed. F.]