FROZEN BEEF.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9334, 10 February 1891, Page 6

FROZEN BEEF.

A Greytown correspondent writes to the Canterbury Times as follows" Sir, —ln your issue of Jan. 23, you devote a leader to frozen beef, and therein make a few remarks on the subject of incomplete freezing, giving them as an excuse for the refusal of the War Minister in England to. accept frozen beef for the use of the English Army, With those remarks I have something to say. No doubt yon have received your information from the most reliable southern sources, and have taken 1 the greatest pains to have your information correct, but from the ■ tenor of your article one would infer that all the inferior frozen beef cornea from the North Island. This is not so. No beast of more than 8501 b in weight is ever frozen here for the Home market.* Any cattle exceeding that weight are boiled down and tinned for export or local oofar sumption. It is true that cattle largely, in excess of that weight are grown here, and sometimes sent to the South more as aa advertisement for our grass , pastures, and : to show the dwellers of the muoE vaunted Canterbury Plains what -we can do in the way of growing beef without any artificial aids, the cattle being fed on grass only, with a small supply of ensilage for winter ' food.' Further, you hint, and hint' pretty strongly, that the freezing companies are inclined to he a little penurious, in the matter of preparing the meat for the market. That may be so with those of your Province, hut for the sake of New; Zealand, I hope you have erred. ‘ I can assure you it is not so with northern freezing companies. The utmost care is exercised by all our freezing companies to allow nothing to go from the works hut a really prime article. I might mention that' the bullock referred to by you was sold to a southern buyer for some .£lB, when the' highest price offered for it here, for homing down purposes, was J3lO. You will, 1 am sure, pardon me for bearding! the lion in his den by thus commenting on! your leader. I can assure you it isonly with the greatest diffidence that Ido so. Just censure we are always ready tb; take, and by so doing try to renfedy.-ourj faults; but to try and throw the blame of! exporting inferior food' upon us have done is too much to expect ua'tab take kindly, even should it come from.one.oxk; whom we look for guidance—the Editor of th & Canterbury Times.” ~/ .