FROZEN SHEEP AND LAMBS

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14758, 30 August 1913, Page 16

FROZEN SHEEP AND LAMBS

(From "Tho Farmers' Union Advocate")

For some years past the Mastcrton A. and P. Association lias been offering prizes for pons of sheep and lambs most suitable for tho London market. The exhibits have lwen judged, at tho local shows, and afterwards judged by experts at Home. At tho annual meeting of the Association on Saturday last, Mr James McGregor drew at.tontion to the difference of opinion between tho local judges and the judges at Homo. In not a single , instance was the exhibit which was awarded first.prize at Solway last year given a similar place by tho Homo judges. In point of fact, the majority of the sheep that wore given prizes at Solway wero passed out by the English experts. The experience of tho Mastcrton Association is the same as others who have conducted competitions of a like nature, but so far the combined wisdom of those most intimately concerned has not resulted in tho adoption of any other system of arriving at any very definite conclusions as to which is tho most profitable sheep or lamb for tho grower to produce of any given breed. it has boon urged by some, who have espressod an opinion on the matter, that the conflict between decisions of tho local and Home judges is embarrassing, to tho growers, as it may cause the breeder who has been unsuccessful at local shows to consider tho necessity for changing his breeding methods. To obviate tho possibility of such a position arising, it has been suggested that tho judgment of the English experts bo taken as the solo guide as to type of carcase most suitable for the trade. If this procedure wero followed it would not meet tho difficulty, nor give tho growor all the knowledge that is necessary to enable him to produce the particular type of sheep that will provide the best carcase or earn the greatest revenue per head when weight, quality, wool, and fat are counted in the net returns. It docs not necessarily follow that the prize-taking entries show the best cash returns; indeed, instances have been known where sheep that have received no award, have shown the highest cash value on tho sales. They may possibly have Cost more to produce, but that is a feature which does not receive n consideration in tho competition. Seeing that there is no standard type for the local judge to work to, in addition to the fact that he has to make his awards b3* external appearances and handling oniy, it would perhaps be remarkable to find that his decisions coincided with tho<e of the man who has tho dressed carcase to handle. Local judges ;tro invariably men who are well skilled in the business of selecting freezing sheep, but their ideas of type may bo at variance with thoso of tho man who has to make the nest decision ; therefore, it is first necessary for the show authorities to fix a definite standard based upon advice contained in English reports for the judge to work to. Until that is done, there is not much chance of bringing about uniformity. If the man who made the local awards was required to make another award at the works after the sheep were slaughtered, he woiild have a better chance of arriving at the true merits of the animal, and give owners a better guide as to the best typo to go in for, and how it should bo finished off, in order to meet the demand of the consumer. It would al c o servo as an education to the judges of tho special requirements of the Home market.