THE QUALITY STEER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 754, 1 March 1910, Page 10

THE QUALITY STEER.

WHAT SMITHFIELD WANTS. The- I Utli annual show of the Smithfield Club, held at the Agricultural Hail, Islington, in the first week in December, allorded many lossons for those who were "keen enough to appreciate them. Not only has quick maturity itself advanced into the first position, but there are other changes taking place, notably 'iu the cattle section. The old. big-boned beasts which thronged the markets somo thirty years ago, are practically extinct, and have been replaced by,-the, smaller boned, meat-making animal,' which is so much more profitable to tlie butchers, consequently, as in all other industries, the old has given place to the new. There wns not a single lllcwt. unini.il in the show, anil to attain that weight would not have been considered an extreme performance.a iev; your.s ago. 'i'ho tendency in almost all breeds is

to increase quality, and whenever the breeder and the feeder agree that, fineness of bone is desirable, then a sacrifice of weight is entailed. Tho bargain is not altogether one-sided.. It is essentially a produce of these times that the characterless animal should find no place on tho farm. What is lost in weight is gained by saving in fodder, and by the higher price made for tho more niarketablo siiie and. the bettor quality. This is a matter that should receive the careful attontion of the beef farmers of New Zealand. There is »a tendency now ( to increase the export of frozeii beef. Last year we shipped 3J0.831 quarters; as compared with 196,388 quarters in 1908, a gain of UiyMG quarters, which is extremely satisfactory. Progress in this direction will bo achieved by carefully studying market requirements, and the market wants beef of good quality.