ONE REASON FOR IT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1212, 24 May 1895, Page 6

ONE REASON FOR IT.

Hawke's Bay Herald. The bottom seems to have literally fallen out of the frozen meat market. That is vaguely understood by everybody, but only the sheepfarmer realises the gravity of the situation, To most people it simply means that the sheepfarmer is getting something less for his mutton, but to him it means that he is getting nothing at all. Freezing

charges, freight, and expenses come to twopence and a fraction a pound. Second quality, known technically as Wellington, in that category being included nearly all North Island sheep, is selling at according to .last advices, so that when we add tho cost of sending to the freezing works, there is literally nothing left for the grower except the skin. The position of the Canterbury farmers, who largely use Down crosses, and produce the first quality of mutton, is no better. Certainly it brings a penny a pound more, but it is generally finished off on turnips, which cost almost the extra penny, while the skin is of less value. It is difficult to understand such low prices. If meat all round had fallen in proportion there would be no mystery, but it is not eo. A few years ago the difference between frozen mutton and Home killed was about 2d a pound, now it is nearer 4d. If, as is so often asserted—and a cable message this morning represents the Secretary of State for War repeating it in the House of Commons—our best mutton is not inferior to Home-killed, why is there such a marked difference in price, and why should our mutton, enstead of going up in price to something like the level of the Home-killed recede until the vanishing point of profit is reached, while the Home-killed article keeps up its price ? That is the problem. Of courbe we know that Australia is sending large quantities of mutton now, but the fall began before that trade was inaugurated, and if, as is persistently alleged, New Zealand mutton is sold as Home-killed, it should keep up the price better than it has done. Some time ago in our columns Mr William Nelson, who should know something about it, poohpoohed the idea that any large quantity was so sold, on the ground that the difference in colour immediately proclaimed the frozen article to any experienced housewife. Since then the market reports have spoken of the inferior appearance of tho meat, and batchers have complained loudly that it mildews so rapidly that they cannot keep it. A Dunedin resident who visited England some years ago, and who has just returned from another trip, writes to the Otago Daily Times saying that he was struck with the different appearance of the mutton then and now. lie says : For some time back, it will have been noticed, from some unexplained cause, New Zealand mutton has frequently arrived in London more or less out of the prime condition in which it formerly arrived there. Reports of loss of “ bloom," and of other and more deleterious appearances of the meat, such as mildew, incipient or developed, are becoming far too frequent, and are largely responsible for the fact that New Zealand mutton has settled down to less than one-half the price of English mutton. Defrosting will doubtless be of great benefit, but it is highly improbable that it will restore the “ bloom," and it is certain that it will not remove the other and more serious deleterious appearances, such as mildew, &e. The disappearance of the “ bloom " is the primary stage of the attacks of mildew, incipient or more or less defined,

It is a common error that intense cold will destroy the mildew and other injurious appearances on the meat. No assumption could be nlore dangerous or less in accord with scientific researches or with practical experience. The cables regularly received ill the Colony, Stating that such and such a steamer had arrived in London with her meat in good Condition, amount to little, being Chiefly sent by the shipowners or their agents. In any case, the mere inspection before discharge is of little value. The broad fact remains that best New Zealand mutton has fallen to less than half the price of English mutton in the London market. The writer believes that the cause of this is the use of charcoal for insulating purposes. 'I hat practice, he says, is the cause of loss of “ bloom ” and of the injurious appearances of the mutton arising from “ mildew ” more or less apparent on the carcases. This is due to the fact that charcoal, being a purely organic substance, is a prolific breeder of germs or microbes. It is to the action of these most minute but most potential agents that the development of mildew under various forms is due, not excepting cases of mildew arising from the occasional occurrence of a rise of temperature on board the steamer. The damage from such causes is greatly intensified by the germ - breeding charcoal insulation. This may appear a far-fetched explanation to many, but the writer does not put it forward without some authority. Last session of Parliament, it will be remembered, the Legislative Council set up a committee to inquire into the use of charcoal as an insulating medium. The prime object was to ascertain its liability to spontaneous combustion. But Sir James Hector condemned its use on other grounds. He said :

I have always considered that the use of charcoal for insulation was dangerous for two reasons—(l.) The well-known tendency of some kinds of charcoal to xbsorb oxygen from the atmosphere, and thus becoming more liable to spontaneous combustion than in its normal condition. (2.) Charcoal is a deodoriser, but not a disinfectant—that is, it absorbs and retains any germs of putrefaction without destroying them—and thus may become a “ nidus " (breeding ground) for the propagation of germs that may taint the meat. For this reason when the meat freezing trade was started I strongly urged the use of calcined pumice instead of charcoal, as being quite as good a non-conductor and absolutely safe.

Professor Tyndall years ago demonstrated, by an eloborate series of experiments, that the presence of germs depended upon the supply of oxygen in any substance, but he did not extend his experiments to charcoal, for "The frozen meat trade was then only just commencing, and the question of the special liability of charcoal to develope conditions favourable to germ life had not been raised. Sir dames Hector,, however, years ago declared that charcoal was bad material for insulation, and that the longer it was used the more objectionable it would become, both as a propagator of injurious germs and as dangerous from its Tendency to spontaneous combustion. This it was that set Mr Firth making experiments with pumice, which is not liable to spontaneous combustion, and will not harbour germ life, being a sterilised inorganic substance. It was once the fashion of men who prided themselves on being “ practical ” to laugh at science. But science can give, and does give, many points to the practical worker without which his labour would be less efficient. And if we have on the one hand science in the person of the bacteriologist telling us that char-

coal absorbs oxygen and so becomes a breeding ground lot putrefactive germs, while on the other hand the practical man in the person of the butcher tells us that the meat kept in chambers insulated by charcoal loses its bloom

THE “SCOUR” IN CALVES It is calculated that fully 20,000 calves have, in the past, died annually in this Colony from the complaint known as the “ Scours.” This represents a loss to the farmers of, at least, ,£25,000. There is no necessity for calves to die from scours, if the proper remedy is used in time. Mr Alex. Colson, of New Plymouth, so well and widely known in connection with the stock sales of Mr Newton. King, the well-known auctioneer says: “ There is no mistake, those Scour Drenches made by Ellis, of Stratford, are a wonderful remedy, I never saw anything equal to them. I had some calves, the other day, lying almost dead from scour. I gave them one dose each, just on the off chance, hardly expecting them to live. Next day, those same calves were strong and well, and as lively as crickets. I strongly recommend every farmer to keep them by him, for I can guarantee if he uses them in time he will never have his calves die from the Scours.” These Drenches may be obtained through all storekeepers, at Is 6d per packet, with full directions ; or they will be sent free by post on receipt of the amount, in postal notes from the sole manufacturer, W. A. Ellis, M.P.S., Veterinary Druggist, Stratford. The wholesale agents are Sharland and Co., Wellington, and Auckland

and quickly derelopes signs of putrefaction, it is time that inquiry should be made into the possible connebtion between the two sets of facts.