STATION FARM & GARDEN

Otago Witness, Issue 1478, 13 March 1880, Page 5

STATION FARM & GARDEN

,We irvoitt views and experiences upon matters relating to the station, the farm, garden, and household, and ask tbatihey be givenin as brief and condensed a manner at nvfy be. Our columns are also open to correspondents who aesire information uponmatters concerning agriculture.

We are glad to hear that there is a prospect of our obtaining some benefit from the meat-freezing process at an earlier date than we had seen reason to hope. The idea now entertained by those immediately interested is that we need not wait for a line of direct steamers, but may send the meat Home in sailing vesaels properly fitted for the purpose. The engine-power required is very small, probably not greater than that already used by most first-class sailing vessels for discharging and loading cargo. The necessary apparatus is said to take up only ten tons of room. Its cost will probably not be very great when the patentees enter on its manufacture on a large scale. A

telegram from London states Wttiat the whole cost of delivering the meat there will not exceed one penny per pound, and we fully expect to hear that arrangements will be made to fit all the large steamers running between Australia and London, and some of the regular sailing liners, with the needful machinery. We in New Zealand can only avail on "selves of the large steamers from Australia if some means is found to tranship regularly to Melbourne and Sydney a certain quantity of meat in the Union Company's larger boats, which would require to be specially fitted for the purpose. We understand that this transhipment might probably be effected for considerably less than a halfpenny per pound, which would make the whole cost to London under three halfpence per pound— by no means a prohibitory rate. But failing any s v eh arrangemen t, there seems no good reason why sailing ships should not be used. If the meat can be frozen for two months, it can be frozen for three or more. The New Zealand Shipping Company are already making inquiries, and we expect within a short period there will be several alternative proposals before us. We cannot hope for direct steam communication with England to be established within the next year, though we believe if we would be content with a voyage averaging 60 days, and thus enable steamers of somewhftt less coal-consuming qualities to be

used, we might, within two years, get a line of 2500-ton boats, whose draught of water would not exceed 21 feet, and would thus be adapted to our harbours, and at a rate of subsidy, too, within reasonable compass. We by no meana undervalue the importance of direct steam communication, but we are aware of the difficulties that surround it, and should bo sorry to see all efforts at sending meat Home postponed till these difficulties are overcome. It seems that butter, as well as meat, has been sent Home from Sydney protected by the freezing process, and has brought as high as 120s to 125s per cwt. in London— a considerably higher price than that obtained for American butter. There is thus a prospect for our dairy farmers, for we suppose no country in the world can produce better butter than New Zealand ; an unlimited market for it would give a great impetus to our dairy-farming. It has been often said that we cannot compete with America in supplying either wheat, meat, or dairy produce to the Home market, but there are good reasons to believe that we can. As regards meat, much of the American is inferior, and as regards wheat and other products, the Americans are heavily weighted with inland carriage of 1500 miles or so ; by their protective system, which heightens the cost of production ; and still more by the financial " rings," which put an artificial value on export products to suit their speculations. At least we must struggle hard for a place in the race, and not give in till we are beaten.