STOCK FOR FREEZING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1394, 21 March 1912, Page 10

STOCK FOR FREEZING.

SOME USEFUL ADVICE. Tlio Auckland Freezing Company has issued a useful little .handbook and notebook from which fanners may gain a good deal of information regarding the freezing and exporting of their stock. After giving various estimates of the value of numerous products, tho booklet says:— "As a guide to clients who have not done much shipping, wc show hereunder tho results worked out, of the returns from lambs and wether mutton, but clients must not forget that the prices given are only approximate, and given as a guide, and should meats, pelts, hides, tallow, etc., go up or down, the net result will not bo the same as shown. Skins, of course, becomo mora valuable as the season goes on. By watching the High Commissioner's report each week, clients can estimate approximately, by tho following figures what meat is netting shippers at that date;— £ a. d. Lambs, woolly (average 861b.) Jan. 1, London prico, Bay sd. 'per lb 0 15 0 Approximate net value of skin. and fat 0 2 3 0 17 3 All charges on meat, including selling in London, about ljd. per lb 0 5 0 Net return at freezing works : (per head) 0 12 3 Mutton Jan. 1 (wethers or ; maiden ewes GOlb.), London salo price, say, 3 3-Bd. per 1b.... 016 10 Approximate net value of skin • and fat » 0 2 3 0 13 6 All charges on meat, including/ selling in London about lid. per lb ■■ 0 7 G Net return at freezing works, per head - 0 12 " Beef (prime steer 7501b.), London sale price, say 3Jd. per lb. (275. per 1001b.) 10 3 1 Approximate value of hide, fat I and offal 1" 4

All charges on meat, including selling in London, ljd. per 1b.... 3 18 2

Not return for a 7501b. bullock ... 7 18 3

' The farmer can, by baving this before him, easily tell for himself whether it will be belter for him to take the local price, or ship. After giving information re Tare and Draft (according to English 'custom and conditions) and condemned stock, ■■ some interesting information is given of tho experience of a client wlio determined to weigh his lambs, so as to gain information as to picking them himself. Tho booklet on this subject says:— "The dead weight of fat lambs can be nearly ascertained by ' weighing them alive, and should tho farmer have any doubt about the weights he can test them on the scales.. Mr. Ross, of Bruntwood, Waikato, adopted the weighing system with wonderfully successful results. Ho sent 300 lambs selected in this manner, of which the grader at the works classed 29S as prime and 2 as seconds. Mr. Ross found that fat lambs taken from their mothers in late December or early January and sent straight to the works, weighed twico as much alive as when dressed and frozen: 8011). live weight produced 40lb. freezing weight; 7211). liyo weight produced oGlb. freezing weight. Lambs taken from their mothers a mouth later did not weigh so well in proportion, it took: 841b. hvo weight to produce 40lb. freezing weight; and VGlb. livo weight to produce 3Glb. freezing weight. Lambs oif rape late in February and March weighed lighter still: It took 881b. live weight to produco 40Vb. freezing weight; and 781b. livo weight to produce 3Glb. freezing weight. _ "Ureat care must be taken not to bruise the lambs when weighing. Mr. Ross's plan was to put a man on tho scales, and after putting up his correct weight and adding the minimum live weight for tho lamb', hand them to him to hold and weigh. Every lamb that lifted the combined weight was sent to lie frozen, except a few big leggy lambs, which were not prime fat. "Those who try this method must remember that tho lambs must be tat or tho proportion of dead weight will bo Of course, this method would only bo used by thoso who are not accustomed to picking lambs themselves, and who have not the benefit of anyone to do it for them.