The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1889. COLONIAL BEEF AT HOME.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2247, 8 October 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1889. COLONIAL BEEF AT HOME.

In a recent issue we gave the views o a quondam Dunedin butcher on the sub [ect of New Zealand frozen mutton m the London market, and we now turn to those of a New Zealand colonist — a Mr E. H. Godsal, of Manaia, who is at present on a visit to the Great Metropolis on the cognate subject of frozen beef. These are published at length m the " Hawera Star," and contain many points of interest to farmers and ex porters. Mr Godsal, it appears, accom panied by a friend, visited the Central Meat Market at Smithfield and there saw at the establishment of Messrs Fitton and Son, who sell for the Loan Company, some of the beef exported from New Zealand by himßelf. He says that "it looked excellent m every way and ot the primest quality," and he learned subsequently that tbif same beef sold for fore-quarters at 2s 4d per stone of 81b, or 3£d per lb, and the hind quarters at 39 2d per stone, or 4fd per lb, the hindquarter weighing 1771 b, and the forequarter 1991 b. In reply to a question as to how it is that New Zealand beef does not realise priceß more nearly approaching that of English meat Mr Fitton said : " the butchers don't like it ; the frost bursts the fibres of the meat, and when it thaws the blood and juices run out, discoloring the meat and fat, and making a mess of the shop. Your beef looks splendid now, but after being exposed m thiß temperature for a couple of days it will look very different. This applies especially to the beef ; the mutton is not so much affected, and keeps its color better, and there is not so much drip from it. Also the market for your beef is governed by the supplies of American beef. If that is plentiful your prices will always be low ; the butchers prefer the American as it has not been frozen, merely chilled." Here then is an explanation, so far as it goes, of the reason for the low priceß obtained for New Zealand beef, and it is much to be desired that attention should be devoted to the question of the possibility of counteracting or rather preventing the deterioration m appearance thus alluded to. Even if this oannot be done, time may effect an enhancement of prices bo soon as it is discovered that the fault m appearance does not indicate any deficiency m quality or flavor. That this is really the case, Mr Godsal goes on to show m the following further extract from the letter under notice. He writes :— " I have mentioned some objections to our beef from the butchers' point of view, as stated by Mr Filton. I have since been able to taka the consumers' view of it. I had some 301 bof it sent down here, a portion of it being cooked for my host's tablo, who said that he had never seen finer beef m his life. He said : "It makes me quite mtlancholy to think that you can place snr.h splendid -lx>of Wo at each ft low price ; what is to become of us farmers !"

He is himself a producer of the very finest beef, his yearly sale some years ago, when 1 was there, averaging £25 per bollock. I must add that I myself never tasted finer beef. It is all bosh to say — as some wise people m New Zealand gay— that our New Zealand beef has not the flavor of the English. The beef was taken out of the stores m London on Monday, came down 200 miles to this place, was cooked on Thursday, and some as late as Friday, and was then perfectly fresh, though this is midsummer, of coarse, I gave some to two or three old friends of mine, workI ing men on this farm. They were delighted with the meaf, and one of them told me that after eating the moat he had made excellent soup from the bone ; this was six days after it had left the stores." It is clear, therefore, that m relation to its excellence onr beef is producing an altogether inadequate price m London, but even at the comparatively low figure which it commands the nett proceeds pay the North Island growers better than disposing of their stock m the local market. This is shown by Mr Godsal as follows : — " I will only now say that, after charging every item and the price of the eighteen bullocks at £4 per head— which you know iB more than I gave for those which I bought a fortnight before shipping— l have a net profit m hand of £29 7s 4d ; or, if I only charge the paddock cost of seventeen bullocks— one j having died m the truck going to Wellington— < the seventeen netted just a trifle under £2 per head. I wish I had shipped 100."