THE EXPORT OF FROZEN BABBITS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1945, 4 June 1891, Page 7

THE EXPORT OF FROZEN BABBITS.

Rabbit tinning factories (says the Taieri Advooate) have been established in many districts ; but to Messrs Arthur M 'Donald and Co., of Dunedin, is due the oredit of commencing another branoh of business in the same connection whioh promises to be as remunerative an industry as oan be established in these days of keen competition. This ia the freezing of rabbit carcases, and for this pnrpose a faotory has been erected at Burnside, and which we inspected the other day. The building is situate in close proximity to the refrigerating works, and in a sense the industry is worked in oonjunotion with the works above mentioned. The plant required is but a small item, as the process is a very simple one, and is aB follows : — The rabbits when purchased are hung en receiving rails in what we will term the receiving room, this beinß where tho carcases are placed before being operated upon. They are then carried to the skinners' room, whioh adjoins the receiving room, and here are engaged a goodly number of men and Jads. The feet of the * rabbits being chopped off, the carcases are passed on to the next operator, who in turn transfers the carcass to the third, and bo on. In the course of the complete round whioh every carcass goeß through it ia skinned, thoroughly cleaned and washed, and is therefore ready for the final operation, that of freezing. The heads are for

various reasons allowed to remain, and after the oaroasea have been thoroughly cleaned, &0., they are placed on " hurdles " preparatory to being conveyed to the freezer. Tha skinner* and oleanera put through about 2500 oaroasea per day, and could clean more if required. In the skinning room are a couple of lads, whose duty it is to take up the skins and wire them, this forming, as it were, another industry, which Messrs M'Donald have successfully oarried on for some considerable time. The wiring prooess was also being carried on in another department upstairs, where some 58,000 skins, which, after being properly dressed and dried, are sent to Messrs M'Donald'a warehouse in Dunedin for olassing, packing, &c, for the various markets, were hanging. The rabbita having been put upon the hurdleß they are conveyed to the freezing room, and after being carefully rolled in white calico bags are ready for transportation to distant lands. As the faotory only commenced operations in March of this year, and as the article will by thia time be just reaohing the Home market, the proprietors are as yet unacquainted with the condition of the market, but it id almost safe to prognosticate a successful career for this valuable industry, which, besides offering additional inducements to persons to enter upon the destruction of rabbits, affords employment at a good rate of wage to 16 men and six boys at the receiving depot alone. Ab has been stated, the factory waß started solely for the purpose of freezing carcases, but Messrs M'Donald have deoided to have in oonjunotion with the same faotory a rabbittinning works, so that shortly a larger number of employes will be required, and an inorease created in the demand for rabbits. Those who were formerly of opinion that but a small number of rabbita were purchased will acknowledge their mistake when we Bay that 15.000 oaroases are being frozen weekly, and that in the oourse of a fortnight it is expected that 20,000 or more will be purchased weekly. Since the industry has commenced about 80,000 oaroases have been sent to the refrigerator ; and if the demand for the artiole equals expectations considerably more than 1,000,000 rabbits will require to be purchased during the year. Every steamer belonging to the New Zealand or Shaw, Savill, and Albion Companies that has left New Zealand for England has conveyed a large number of frozen rabbits.