LEAN MEAT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 40, 10 November 1937, Page 13

LEAN MEAT

Requirements of Home Lamb Trade USE OF THE SUFFOLK Almost the only criticism of New Zealand lamb by Smithfield bntchers is of "too ihuch fat on the loins," There has not been much effort towards overcoming this fault, but if has been strongly claimed and backed by h-^onstrsation that this excessive weight of fat in export lambs can be much minimiseS by the use of rams of the Suffolk-Southdown cross, or vice versa. This cross has been advooated for a number of years by Mr. George Gould, of Canterbury, and the Christchurch Press recently published a group of illustrations of four careases of sheep killedatthe Belfast works for Mr Gould as a demonstration of what may be learned by block test competition. The illustrations are instructive. No. 2 shows a- two-shear SuffolkSouthdown ewe, which plainly displays a preponderance of lean meat compared with the three other carcases. No.. 1 photograph — that of a gummy Suffolk ewe, barely prime — shows this lean meat quality to a- much smaller extent, but in No. 3 photograph — a full-mouthed pure Southdown ewe — the lean is reduced to a minimum. No. 4 illustration is of a full-mouthed whitefaced ewe, Southdown cross. Mr Gould has for some years past urged that at the fat lamb eompetitions biock test demonstrations of various breeds shouid be included, as there is much to be learned of the fieph properties of the vaxious breeds and crosseS. The photographs certainly lend force to his arguments An English writer of 20 odd years ago may be quoted as illustrating some of the faults Which were then creeping into many of our Down breeds and which recent experience tias shown have not been checked ae prudence dlctated they shouid be checked. This uuthority referred to the tendency being developed in Down .breeds towards au excess covering of i'ace wool and to the conaection between wool growth and fatty carcases. It is undoubted that more attention has been paid in recent years to tne production of a big weight *of quality wool than to tn* quaiity of lamb and mutton. The writer. notes that great weights of wool have been secured with breeds which have a tendency to develop fat on tfie baeks and these fat backed sheep do not produce quality meat. There is not enough kjan u it. The trend when this authority made his observations had becoms pronounced in the Shropshire breed, which was neariy rulned by this excessive face covering. Breeders of Shrops are now retracing their steps, but the slip was a euetly one. Many Southdown breeders are tjamaging their flocks in the same way. . It can be claimed for the Suffolk that it iR one of the very few Downi breeds where this objection does not exist. 'lti* Suffolk is the most widely used rain to-day • ii Gicat Britain, and also the highest priced. The maia rea son is that it will put lean meat into any er'.c4. For vears past half the entnoa of ali carcase eompetitions at Smithfield have oeea Suffolk crosses. The rams of the breed have been in oxceptional dcmand b? Sccttish fatfarmcrs for Lroseing with their Cheviot ewes.

Tractors in N.Z. Heavy horses are in lceen demand in England at the present tirne. This might appear somewhat surprising in •view of the tremendous increase in mechanical power on the farm in New Zealand, paTticularly in the agricultural distriets of the South Island. One firin is understood to have sold approxirnately 500 tractors in New Zealand in the last six months, and the conclusion is inescapable that this increase must be at the expense of the horse. The latest statistical figures of the number of tractors in New Zealand are as at January 1, 1930, when the number reeorded was 5710. It is known that there has been a tremendous increase within the last 12 months. In the depression years the number inereased slowly. Between January, 1935, and Jauuavy, 1936, tlj.e increase was only 260. It is eoitnin that when Ihe 1937 figures ar% available they wiLl show a big adysncR w ihsm