COUNTRY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 30, 29 October 1921, Page 10

COUNTRY NOTES

MANAWATU AND WAIRARAPA

MARKETING NEW ZEALAND MEAT From Our Own Correspondent. Tho week was ushered in with one of thel heaviest Kouth-eastc-rly gales which has ever been experienced in tho district. It was accompanied with cold, sleety showers over the West Coast. On the eastern side of the island there was less wind, but torrential rains fell, and all the rivers were in high flood, and many of the low-lying lands were inundated. Fortunately, on both sides of the ranges, which have a lair covering of snow, warm weather followed tho downpour, witli the result that beyond trees and orchards being injured by the gales, practically no damage is apparent on either coast. The rain has improved the pastures, and the warmth following has given spring-sown crops a good start. The grass is so plentiful and luxurious that 'till the dairy factories report that although the flush of the season is yet some weeks off, the supply of milk is quite as good as it was at the height of the season last year, and tiie percentage of butter-fat is more than mainThe Wairarapa, more especially the upper end, liad rather a trying time during tho end of the winter and the early spring, and feed was getting scarce, but the copious rains which, have fallen have now put a very different complexion on matter's, and the bare paddocks so much in evidence a few weeks ago are now transformed into green, henlthylooking pastures, which give every assurance of a good season. The improvement is more apparent on the Wairarapa Plains than it is in the more broken and hilly country between Woodville and Mauriceville, the ono bright spot in that district being the rich alluvial flats at Eketahuna. However, the stock is looking extremely well throughout the district, and the lambs have come in well. It will l>e remembered that a few weeks ago IThb Dominion published an interview with Mr. D. Buchanan, of Palmerston North, in which he expressed some very adverse opinions on the manner in which our meat was prepared for tho London market. That gentleman repeated these statements at the smoko concert held 'in connection with the Carterton Show, and went so far as. to declare than some of our mutton which he saw at Smithfield was not fit for dogs’ meat. He said that unless the producers controlled their stock from tho paddocks right through to disposing of it on tho Homo market, the industry which it had taken thirty years to build up would be utterly ruined. Sir Walter Buchanan quite agreed with Mr. D. Buchanan as to the bad conditions under which our meat was handled at tho docks and in the markets at Home, and considered that the name of our produce had suffered considerably thereby. lie admitted that there was considerable room for improvement in the slaughtering and preparing of the me/t at this end but this was a difficult matter to deal with in the present condition of labour. Mr. A. D. McLeod. M.P., said that no farmer could afford to nigibet the warning given by jlr. D. Buchanan as to tho marketing of our meat and cheese, and ho had brought the matter up in the House of Representatives. Speaking of tho commandeer of our produce, ho said he was satisfied that it had laid the foundation of a structure which if not counteracted would spell ruin to tho Dominion. Tho position of this country was entirely in the hands of tho producers, who at present were faced with the jxisition that they had an oversupply of meat, which in tho parity, of London prices they could do nothing with. He urged their co-operation in handling shipping and placing our produce on the London markets was tho only thing which was likejy to prove our salvation, and no time should be lost in laying tho foundation for this work. Ono of the most unpopular things to bo undertaken was tho compulsory grading of all meat for export. He personally had seen thousands of cattle and sheep going to tho freezing works that should never have been allowed to leave the country, and it was such stuff as this that had caused New Zealand to lose tho good name built up in pre-war times. The establishment of meat grading would bo a steppingstono towards recovering our. good name, and would help in the project of cooperative marketing. The grading of dairy produce and flax had proved a success, and there was no reason why the same should not apply to meat. At tho same gathering several speakers pointed out that as good stock was reared in the Dominion as in any part of the world. The climate was eminently suited for stock-raising under natural conditions, and it was satisfactory to nolo that all the animals in tho showring were sound, and showed no signs of pampering. This was only'too common in show cattle in the Old Country, the majority being stall-fed and too fat’to bo of any use, while unsoundness in the legs and feet was too common for over-feeding. A class of men who have a. good deal to do with tho success of an agricultural show, who do a very great deal of tho more important work in getting stock up for these fixtures and who have a very trying time in taking the stock to and from the exhibitions, came into their own at the smoko concert held in connection with tho Carterton show. Mr. D. Buchanan, in proposing the toast of "Tiie Stockmen.” said that very few knew how much th* owners of stock owed to these men who really took more interest in tho stock than tho actual proprietors did. Ho announced his intention of giving a medal at the next show to tho stockman who brought his cattle in the best “show bloom.” Another gentleman said he would also offer a similar prize in the horse section.