AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND MUTTON

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13317, 20 June 1907, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND MUTTON

Mr W. A. Benn, writing to the Sydney Morning Herald, «iys : —-I notice that our old friend Sir William Lyne, has visited Smithfield, and has been mucli struck with the different appearance of the New Zealand and Australian mutton. It is also reported that he proposes on his return to investigate -the. causes which make Australian mutton appear inferior to New Zealand, presumably with a view to making our negligtm exporters adopt tome method of making ill-.' carcases appear mow attractive.

I venture to recommend Sir "William Lyne to commence his reformation with the sht>-p-biveders instead of with those who handle the carcases. New Zealand breeds primarily for carcase; Australia, neglects carcase." and breeds for wool. Though theiv are edtain flocks where: the Murray type predominates, and the carcasts are, therefore, better adapted for export purposes, yet the vast majority of merino flocks very unmistakably show that the symmetry and colour of the carcases (from a frozen meat export point of view) has not bivn the main consideration. It is admitted that the frozen mutton exports from New Zealand consist almost entirely of crossbred sheep, and that the exports from Australia of mutton consist almost of merinos. It must also be-admitted that it is simply impos.-ibk| to make a frozen carcasf- of msi-ino mutton appear as attractive in slutpe and colour as that of a- crosbred. I have, however, always contended that the very wide difference in appearance, and, what is more essential, in value, between merino and crosbred mutton can be to « certain extent abridged by breeding more on the Murray typ<! than on the more fashionable strains, liadical improvement in Australian mutton is , simplv impossible unless the breeders And it to their advantage to breed for export as ' mutton. It is a question simply of what will pay them best and this again may l>e dependent tin localitv. access to markets, and other reasons. " I comkUr that most, of those engaged in tho meat export trade have, done their best with the material they have to deal with. The question of whether a more suitable, export carcase will pay the breeders and graziers better is one. for them to decide. I freely admit that the method of handling carcases before freezing and subsequent handling on shipment in Sydney leaves much to be desired as compared with New Zealand. iSome of these difficulties are capable of amendment, but the main point is that at present we have not tha right quality of sheep to compete in appearance with New Zealand mutton. Merino mutton belongs to a different class from crossbred and must always remain so. In considering the question of the mast profitable sheep for graziers, the points i favour of the crossbred (halfbred) type are as under—-

1. New Zealand pickled pelts sell at up to 48s, i.e. 4s each, against, Australian merino pelts at 10s to 18s', say, 10d to Is 6d, and many pelts are almost useless. 2. Runners from New Zealand crossbred* sell at about 20s to 25s per 100 sheep. Thov are practically valueless here. 3." Halfbred wool sells at fully equal to merino price. 4. The crossbred lamb for export is worth fully 2s 6d per head more than merino lamb of equal} weight. 5. Australia, with her millions of merino ewi.-:, need not go beyond the first except for lambs for export. 6. First cross or half-bred mutton is worth more than the deeper bred mutton now commands in New Zealand., owing to; the scarcity of merino ewes in that colony. Half-bred mutton is the true "Canterbury type which has always commanded top price. It- remains to be argued what corresponding advantages the pure merino type offers to grazier.-', especially graziers on properties in settled districts and with good rail communication.