IN AND ABOUT THE FARM.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 2, 21 April 1911, Page 4

IN AND ABOUT THE FARM.

FROZEN MEAT TRADE..

RETROSPECT OF 1910.

The twenty-third annual review of the frozen meat trade, by Messrs W. Weddel and Co., of London, shows that the industry participated fully in the exceptionally good general trade _ of the country during 1910, proving a welcome but not unexpected contrast to 1909. From January to December last year business was carried on under conditions which make 1910 rank as one of the best all-round years in the history of the trade. The review makes pleasant reading to those interested in the industry, in that it shows the aggregate deliveries of frozen and chilled meat to the Home market at 610,970 tons, an increase of 78,714 tons, or 15 per cent over the total for 1909,which iri its turn had exceeded its predecessor by 46,280 tons, or 10 per cent. Despite the enormous growth in supplies, the price realised averaged all round very much more than in" 1909, which was a year of moderate values, and almost as much as in 1908, which was a year of reduced supplies and high prices, so that it is evident that the supply is year by year being met with a stronger demand. One of the most noteworthy features during the year was the rapid ripening of public opinion in some of the most important countries of the Continent of Europe in favour of the freer admission of frozen meat, in order to remove the growing scarcity and dearness of their domestic supplies. The importation of mutton from New Zealand amounted to 1,991,115 carcases, an increase of only 6.5 per cent, but beef quarters showed an increase of 46,720. There was a big increase in the importation of lamb, the total received being 5,428,067, an increase of 276,370 carcases, made up by 144.963 additional from Australia, 250,855 additional from New Zealand, less a reduction of 119,448 from South America. Altogether, New Zealand's share of the total was 3,416,359 carcases, as against 3,165,504 in 1909.

In conclusion, the report states that the general trade conditions in the United Kingdom are so excellent that an improved consumptive demand for all kinds of foodstuffs seems to be assured, at least for some months ahead. Frozen meat of all kinds may be expected to participate to the full in any such improvement; and as stocks in store are moderate, even the heavier shipments in sight should not offer any serious barrier to the maintenance of prices at a level as satisfactory as that of 1910. Also, any material development in the Continental demand must have a further hardening influence on the value of beef in the markets of the home country. *

MANURIAL EXPERIMENTS.

TESTS IN ENGLAND.

An interesting experiment is being carried out at the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College, England, to show the influence of manuring on the milk-produc-ing capacity of poor pastures. There has already been a profit of 15s per acre on the manured plot in two years, anc* the effects of the dressing applied are not exhausted,

Another experiment at the Midland College is said to indicate the advisability of manuring young seeds. A complete manure applied to young seeds in spring has resulted in a substantial profit. It is not generally considered that this crop responds profitably to manuring, but this experiment is confirmed by other trials in Lancashire.

MOTTLED OR STREAKY

BUTTER.

SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERT'S

VIEWS.

In the course of a lecture, Mr Challis, the South African State dairy expert, said: There are two distinct kinds of streaks in butter, viz., caseous streaks, always readily recognised by the streaks themselves being much whiter in colour than the butter itself, and dark streaks, caused by the uneven distribution of the salt and subsequent insufficient working. Both streaks of this nature give the butter a mottled appearance, and are very objectionable from a market point of view, such butter usually realising a very much lower price than if no streaks were present. Bntterscontainingcaseous streaks should always be looked upon

with suspicion from a keeping point of view, so we will enumerate some of the causes which produce these streaks: (i) Neglect to stir the cream frequently, especially when mixing different creams together, thus causing uneven ripening. (2) Exposing cream to direct sunlight. (3) Churning at a high temperature, and subsequently using the first washing water at too low a temperature. (4) Neglect to remove the buttermilk from the butter by insufficient washing. (5) Neglect to strain the cream, especially if same is thin and over-ripe, as such cream usually, contains caseous lumps or curds, which if not removed are bound to apdear in the resulting butter in the form of white specks. Another reason for straining cream, apart from removing extraneous matter, is the breaking up of any lumps which may be in the cream, which, if churned in this state, not only cause a loss in the butter yield, but also cause unevenness in colour. Salt streaks are the most common, and at the same time most easily remedied. When adding dry salt to butter, this should be done by means of a hair sieve or flour dredger, as the salt when added in this way is more evenly distributed, and all lumps are avoided. The salt should not all be added at one time, bnt be sprinkled on the butter somewhat gradually. After sufficient salt has been added according to market requirements, and worked into the butter, the butter should be put away for a few hours to allow the salt to dissolve, and then be reworked. ... In winter ; the salt takes longer to dissolve but at the same time the butter being firmer, will stand more working, which to a certain extent obviates this difficulty. To facilitate the salt dissolving in cold weather, it may be slightly warmed before being used.

FACIAL ECZEMA IN SHEEP.

"NOT CONTAGfOUS."

A week or two ago (says an exchange) the Canterbury A. and P. Association wrote to the Live Stock Department asking that steps be taken to prevent the introduction of facial eczema among sheep to the South Island. At a meeting of the committee the secretary read a reply from Mr C. J. Reakes, Director of the Live Stock and Meat Division, which stated that there was no danger of the trouble being introduced to the South Island through the importation of North Island sheep, seeing that it was not a contagious disease. The cause was of a purely dietetic nature. The trouble had been prevalent in the North Island for two seasons, 1908-1910, and in each case was associated with the presence of a plentiful growth of more or less rank autumn grass, the result of frequent rainfall, accompanied by warm weather. Much investigation work had been done at the Wallaceville Laboratory in connection with the disease, and the officer in charge of the laboratory. Mr Reid, had furnished a valuable report concerning it. His investigations, carried out in conjunction with the writer (Mr Reakes), all went to emphasise the accuracy of the conviction 1 previously expressed, that the disease was not of a contagious nature. Further proof of this was furnished by the fact that when outbreaks had occurred in the North Island, and no internal complications had existed, and prompt measures were taken to transfer the sheep to other and more suitable pasture, the trouble had subsided. Ih those cases where a heavy mortality had taken place the sheep had been left on the same pasture, or investigations had shown that the animals dying had been affected by a condition of fatty infiltration or degeneration of the liver, this on the one hand reducing their vitality, and on the other hand impairing the proper carrying out of the digestive functions. The worst outward symptoms were produced by a secondary cause, namely, the entrance into the tissues of the skin of the head of a micro-organism known as necrosis-bacillus. This was widely distributed in the soil, and was a common habitant of the intestines of all herbivorous animals. Ordinarily it was harmless, being only able to exert its influence when it gained entrance to the tissue through wounds or abrasions of the skin. That it more frequently* caused trouble in the North Island than in the South was probably due to the fact that the warmer weather and more humid climatic conditions present there enabled it to retain its vitality outside the animal body for a longer period than was possible in the drier and cooler conditions, especially at night, which prevail in the South Island, The associa-

tion could rest assured that in this and all other matters the Department was keeping a careful watch on the interests of stockowners in the South Island as well as in other,parts of the country. on the motion of the president (Sir Geo. Clifford) it was decided to write to the Director of the Live Stock Division thanking him for allaying the apprehensions of members in the matter.

The following will give some indication of the value of the cheese industry to a district. There are three factories round about Otaruia, in Southland. The output of cheese from the district for the past season will oe about 200 tons, and at the prices which have ruled the net return to the district should be about £IO,OOO, after paying export charges.

Potatoes riddled with the worm have been dug up in gardens in Feilding this week (states an exchange). A month ago some of the potatoes, when lifted, showed scarcely any sign of the worm. A large quantity of tubers had to be destroyed at HunteVville. Some consider that the pest is spreading quickly.