LINCOLN STUDENTS VISIT BELFAST.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14907, 4 March 1914, Page 6

LINCOLN STUDENTS VISIT BELFAST.

SUCCESSFUL GATHERING AT THE WORKS. A TOUR OF INSPECTION. For tho third time within the last few years tho Lincoln Collego students have accepted the kindly invitation of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co. to pay a visit of inspection to the Belfast Freezing Works, with a view to seeing all tho different processes in the great frozen meat industry of the Dominion. A party of about sixty professors and students "drove out yesterday mornirig to Belfast, and were welcomed on behalf of tho Company by Mr N. L. Macbeth, the secretary, and Mr A. P.. Hopkins, works manager; Sir George Clifford, chairman of directors of the C.F.M. Co., was to have been present, but unfortunately he wa« detained at Stonyhurst and could not get down for tho occasion.

Among the visitors wero Mr R. E. Alexander, Director of Lincoln College, Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, lecturer oh biology; Mr G. Gray. F.C.S.. lecturer on chemistry, Mr A. Taylor, lecturer on veterinary science, Mr W. Street, farm manager, Mr 0. B. Pemberton, secretary of the Canterbury A. and P. Association, Mr E. H. Hughes of the C.F.M. Co., and Mr Kerrigan, Government Stock Inspector for the South Island. " , THE EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS. First of all a move was made to view, the experimental, farm, or farms rather, for a new area of 10 acrtv? to the south-east of the works has been brought in for experimental work. The soil here is different from the original 5-acre plot, being of a loose sandy nature on a shingle subsoil, while, the othir is heavy loam on a clay subsoil. The variety tests on both plots have done excellently, the season favouring the lighter warmer land., if anything, and with the'exception of maize and lucerne, the crops on the nevf land are similar to those on the original plots. After a thorough inspection had been made a brief tour round the premises was the order of the day, and the new swimming baths came -in for very considerable appreciation THROUGH THE WORKS. The visitors were then entertained at luncheon, ard immediately afterwards the student* were taken for a comprehensive tour all over, the works, every department being visited in turn, and all the multifarious and intricate processes being fully explained by the officials and the heads of the different sections in- the works. Starting from the stockyards the students followed the sheep and its by-products ri'pht through the slaughter-house, the cooling and freezing stores, the canning factory, fellmongery, oleo, tallow, and manure'work*, the wool department, and spent altogether a couple of very instructive hours, leaving for town en route for the College about fcalf-past three in the afternoon. FARMERS' DAY. Mr Hopkins states that the < big annual Farmers' Day at the works, which has proved so successful, will be held in a week or ten days' time, but a definite date has not been fixed at present.