PRIME FREEZERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13107, 22 April 1903, Page 4

PRIME FREEZERS.

At a meeting df the committee of the Timaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Saturday, a return was received from the Christchurch Meat Company of the prices realised for three lots of freezing wethers (five each) in the local market lor fat and skins, and in London for carcases, 'in accordance with the conditions of a special prize offered by the company at the i last Timaru Show. Three' pens of five were entered for the prize, by the Levels Estate, Mr E. Keliand and Mr S. Mackenzie. Half the prize was awarded on tiro show-yard judging, and this was won by the Levels exhibit. Tho other half was to bs decided on the. sales results, and these mere—total value, less charges, Levels, £l. 13s 9d per sheep ;Mr Mackenzie, £l-10s 8d ; Mr Keliand, £1 17s lid. The Levels and Mr Mackenzie’s lots, were disqualified, because one or more of the five exceeded 641 b each, and the second half of the prize ac-cordingly-goes to Mr Keliand. The follow-, ing are some particulars from the return: —Levels, average freezing weight 79.40ib, sale-price 5.07 d per lb, fat average 9.201 b, skins 5s lOd each ; Mr Mackenzie’s, average' 'weight 67.601 b, sale price*s.2sd, fat average 8.601 b, skins 5s 9d each: Mr Kdland’s, average weight 61.80ib, sale price 5.34 d, fat average 6.40!b, skins 5s each. A return of the individual weights and sale results for each sheep had been tuppfied to the exhibitors, and Mr Orbell asserted that .there had been some, mistake made somewhere, for the Levels pen was.awarded the prize in the show-yard for its evenness and quality, yet the return showed a difference of 20ib in weight between the lightest and heaviest sheep, one being 611 b and another 831 b. That was an impossible- difference in a pen awarded the prize for evenness. There was also certainly more than a penny difference in the value of the skins between the Levels’ sheep and Mr Mackenzie’s. The report of the London salesmen was that the Levels lot was ".very mixed,’’ so that he could only conclude that some other sheep iha-n the Levels exhibit had been sold and judged in London.