River Plate Sheep.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 42, 18 August 1897, Page 3

River Plate Sheep.

The Canterbury Press says :— A very interesting exhibit is being made at the Christchnrch Meat Company's shop in Cashel street. The company in Btrncted their representative in London aome time ago to forward to New Zealand in the freezing chambers of one of the steamer* a fair sample of the River Plate sheep, the company's object being to obtain a fair and accurate estimate of what competition we have to expect from this quarter. Mr Randall, the company's representative, reported that he had mad 6 a selection of these sheep as requested, the selection being a fair average quality of River Plate sheep at that time on the market, but that if it would have been possible to have delayed the selection for a month or two, a very much better lot of ■beep could bave been sent. The company intended that these sheep should •rrive in time for the midwinter show, but unfortunately the Otarama, in which steamer they were sent, made a somewhat long passage, and consequently they did not arrive in the colony until the second week in Juno, just after tbe

■bow was closed. The compauy have, therefore, kept the sheep in their freezchambers at Islington for two longer, and have now thawed them out and sent them down for exbi- / bition, B« that the farmers visiting the •w city during the week of the " Grand National " should have an opportunity •f seeing what class of sheep the River Plate people are sending to London. It must be admitted that the quality Of these sheep is surprising. They are very much batter tban was expected, •ad when it is considered that in Messrs Fitter and Son's last price list River Plate sheep aro quoted at 2Jd to 3d per Ib, it will be seen that the Canterbury farmer mart not imagine that be is in inch a aecure position as to be indifferent to the future. It is very much to be regretted that while there are con■tant reports from London that the quality of River Plata and Australian ■beep is steadily improving, it is stated that the Canterbury mutton is not as Mod at it used to be. ........ Clearly our farmers must look to their laurels if they mean to maintain their position for " prime Canterbury." Some Of the factories are noted for keeping op , their standard*, and it is decidedly in - the interests of the farmers to assist these factories in doing so as much as possible, for it is not the freezing Companies but the farmers themselves who will suffer if the standard is lowered.