TOPICS OF THE WEEK

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28128, 17 November 1956, Page 9

TOPICS OF THE WEEK

EXPERIMENT WITH CHILLED BEEF

The use of violet ray lamps is being tested in the hold of a ship carrying chilled beef from Australia to Britain. The firm of Thomas Borthwick and Sons (Australasia), Ltd., has arranged, through the Refrigerated Cargo Research Council of England, to make a shipment of chilled beef using ultra violet ray lamps in the holds in an effort to avoid the use of CO2 gas and gas-tight lockers for the carriage of chilled beef to the United Kingdom. The vessel selected for the experiment is the Blue Funnel liner, Ixion, which is carrying beef from Brisbane. One locker of the ship filled with hinds and crops is being operated with CO2 gas and another, also with hinds and crops, has violet ray lamps but no gas. Eighteen quarters in each locker are being checkweighed on loading and at their destination to compare shrinkage losses. For some time Borthwicks have been using ultra violet ray lamps in their chilling rooms at their Brisbane meat works as part of the preparation of meat for overseas, and they regard the results as very satisfactory.

MORE ABOUT FODDER BEET

With the experience of the use of fodder beet instead of mangolds in New Zealand trials, it is interesting that, according to the British Ministry of Agriculture, fodder beet so far has been used in Britain mostly for pigs, but the roots can also be fed to cattle, sheep and horses with advantage. Using Danish and Dutch experience, the recommendation for cattle feeding, is about 50-601 b daily of medium dry matter varieties for dairy cows, but not more than 351 b daily of the high dry matter kinds, like Hunsballe, Pajbjerg and Hindertipgaard. These quantities correspond roughly to 70-801 b of mangolds. Where fodder beet is being fed in quantity, it is advisable to include at least 71b of good hay per day in the ration. Some farmers say«=Xhat fodder beet does not seem to suit sheep, but others are finding that both the high and the medium dry matter types are a valuable winter food in place of mangolds, along with hay and corn for fattening tegs. In one British experiment, a ration of 11b hay, |lb corn mixture and 61b Red Otofte beet gave liveweight increases of 2-23 lb per week, with no adverse effect. For horses, a replacement of 4-51 b of oats by 25-301 b of roots can be made. It is always important to introduce the fodder beet into the ration gradually to enable the digestive system to become adapted.

BRITISH WOOL VICTORY

“It gives me greai pleasure to tell you that the 1955 British wool clip realised the highest average price in tile world.” said the chairman, Mr Ivor Morris, speaking at the sixth annual general meeting of the British Wool Marketing Board. Mr Morris, who is at present in New Zealand for the Seventh International Grasslands Congress, said it was a most encouraging achievement that the British wool clip, composed of crossbred and carpet wool types, should gain a higher average price than, to take a notable example, the Australian clip of which three-quarters was fine • Merino wool, although it had to be acknowledged, he added, that there had been a general reduction of the premium which Merino commanded. While it was true the price realised for the British clip fell by an average of 2d per lb over the period, the price of New Zealand and Australian wool fell by 3Jd and 7sd respectively.

A GREAT PRODUCER

A black Romney ewe, which is known to be 15 years old and is still breeding, is (he proud possession of Mr E. Newland, of Homebush. Inglewood. Taranaki. Bred by Mr K. Riley, of Kaimata, the ewe, called Daisy, began life as a pet lamb. She was included in a line, of ewes purchased by Mr Newland nine years ago and since then she had produced healthy twins in seven consecutive seasons. In 1954 Daisy had no lamb, but she made up for this in good measure last year, producing a lamb on February 1 and then lambing again late in October when she became the proud mother of twins. This year Daisy has had still another lamb, which her owner says is worthy of being shown in any ring. Daisy has never clipped under 9Jlb of wool and she has given up to 121 b. This year her owner confidently expects a 101 b fleece. The wool is said to be of. excellent quality with a long staple. Two of Daisy's daughters have followed in their mother's footsteps by producing twins this year.

LAMBING PERCENTAGE

A lambing percentage of 213 per cent., with 145 lambs weaned from 68 Masham ewes, won the major awards in the national lambing competitions held in Britain. The owner of the ewes <by a Wensleydale ram out of Swaledale ewes) was Mr Stanley Stephenson, who lives near Leeds in Yorkshire., His flock lives under hardy conditions on his 237-acre windswept farm. Their high weaning percentage is attributed to the individual attention given them by their owner and his wife, who do the shepherding jointly, and, to the wonderful prolificacy of the ewes. Only one lamb was lost at lambing time and 16 .sets of triplets were born.