FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 5, 30 January 1909, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

SHOWS COMRARKD. Looking back over the three shows •ll'hrisicliurcli. Ilawera and New I'lyiiiouili), says a writer in the Dairyman; ia the order in which they were held. , hristchureh would appeal to ihe visilor as being run by Ihe big men of the province, and in the interests of no one ii particular. That the fixture is a popular one. no one could dispute, bill die show on "I'oople's Day" is looked upon as a common meeting place of old acquaintances, more than as an example of what breeders are capable of. As a show, it did not seem to have that interest centred in it which il decidedly deserved; and the thought suggests itself that probably the earlier and -mailer local shows had robbed the metropolitan one of a good deal of support, and precluded a wider range of interest. However, this may be, one

i-annot help feeling that the Canterbury people do not look upon their show with ihe favour and appreciation that they should. They have ideal .surroundings for breeding stud stock, almost all varieties of soil suitable for their individual requirements, Hat c itry, and hilly country, and for a diversity of purposes ire uniquely situated, lieyoud mis lon, s the fact'that the province is largely freehold and long established, and peopled by men of means, who have the leisure to undertake stud breeding. In the North Island all these requisites arc practically nun est, aud the -bowing of stock is generally in the bands of the small fanner, who leads a busv life, and is himself probably a leaseholder. Christchurch Show excelled : n sheep aad Shorthorn cattle, but was disappointing in horses; that is, when I lie magiiiliceiit opportunities- she possesses for their breeding and development is taken into account. The jumping eonqietilions would rank a bad third after New I'lymonth and llawera. and draught stock, with the exception of !-year-old stallions, did not, in my opinion, rank as high as at llawera. It was no! surprising to lind thai; the dairy br Is of cattle were slrungor in the Northern shows, for Taranaki is pre■inincnlly Ihe dairying province In pig entries Chrisichiirch wa- nol up to the standard found this year al llawera. , which may appear astonishing to many. llawera'Show's strongest feature was undoubtedly draught horses. Hollowed by .lersey cattle. In the mailer of light horses too she was pretty strong, and 'n the various jumping competitions also. Sheep were fairly good, and may 1 soon be looked upon lo improve. On lie whole this sh,,w was in point of ox•ellcnce quite the equal of ( hrisleliur.li. ' I think, and the exhibits came from a very •.mall radius in comparison, which should count for a good deal.

New I'lvmiiiilh .■(.»..; mine ciauu In have had 'the best show of dairy slock .f the three shows under review, and mother claim -lie mav reasonably mak" was in providing the best and ino-1 ■lever display in (hi. jumping competitions. As this show is only juM mak uiiiv be provided with something very much hotter in the fniiire. There is one Ihiiig certain, and that is that Now I'lvmoiitli town works hard in I lie inter

-sis of its show, and in this respeii may be classed on a pur with I'aluicrslon. ■hristeliurch and lliiwera may well take a lesson, and follow such an example of what support and enthusiasm has done for New Plymouth.

BONELESS MEAT. I'HE NEW G()VEi:.N.MEN"T UEGI'LATIONS. London. Dece r IS. The Local (o.vcrnniciit Hoard lias i,.lied a circular drawing the attention >[ local authorities to the general of'eels of the Public Health | foreign Meat) Regulation-, which take ell'ect at lie beginning of next vear. when it will >c the dtttv of medical' olliccrs of health o decide w-licihcr meat detained by the illiccrs of Cost » conies within ecraiin classes, and if so to forbid its renoval for any purpose other than exlortation.

1 The circular points out that in the. egulalioiis the kind of boneless meal .•onipriscd in the class of foreiun meat is described as follows:—".Scrap meat - lamely, meat which, whether if i- fresh >r has before importation been subject■d to a proce-s of freezing or other refrigeration or to chemical or other treatment, with or without the addition of any preservative or coloring sub--lance (1) consists of scraps, trimmings, >r other pieces of such shape or in such condition as to afford iiisiillicirnt 1 neans of identification with, definite oarts of a carcase: (2) has not before importation been made ready for human ■onsuinptioii ill the form of a sausage ir of another prepared or manufactured irtielc of food; and (3| is without bono n its natural stale of attachment.'* The circular says the boneless meat ,'omiug within this description which lias hitherto come to the I'nited Kingloin has occasionally been imported in barrels or oilier packages in a fresh .'•onditiiin. or preserved by moans of ■boric acid and olhoj- preservatives. Most 'if it, however, has been exported in 'boxes in the frozen state from the '.'nited Stales. New Zealand. Australia, uid Argentine. Imported frozen meat *u bo\e- (-boxed meat") may comprise .arieties of meal which do not fall within the above description of boneless scrap meat. Some boxes of hooch— meat arc said lo contain imlv certain classified ''cuts'' if one and (he -ame kind, but hitherto -In' pieces of meat have been packed lightly together and form a -olid mass, satisfactorv idcntilicatiiu in the frozen ■ late being impracticable. The circular ssivs it, has. however, been represented to'the Hoard (hat new methods of packbig tin-.,, "classified cuts" are being bltroducod. In any case in which such new methods'are adopted, and in regard to Vioxed boneless meat generally, the jioard -ms il will be desirable that the medical ollicor of health, before giviag i certificate which permits (he removal if the meat, should satisfy himself that .he follow-in;.' conditions are complied with: -(nl Thill the pieces of meal contained in the box are -o packed thai on opening the box the pieces can be individually separated and examined: (M that, anv piece so examined is of -neb a nature 'that if can sali-fadorily be ''deutilicd with the parts of the carcase which the box i- stated to contain.

Consignments of imporled pork in portions of loss than the whole carcase must -be accompanied bv a. eerlificale that I lie pig from which the meal is derived has been certified by a cwrpclcnl authority in the place of origin lo be free from disease at the time of slaughter, and that the meat has been prepared and placed with the needful observance of all requirements for the prevention of danger ari'-ihg to public, health. Failing this Ihe Cusioms officers .imisl delain the irie.it for the examination of the medical officer, and if neces-sa-vv he must forbid it- removal.