CO-OPERATIVE FREEZING WORKS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3194, 20 May 1909, Page 6

CO-OPERATIVE FREEZING WORKS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—lt is some few years since a number of settlers interested in establishing works in the Wairarapa and Forty Mile Bush failed in the attempt, the principal opposition coming from persons having vested interests in existing works established in Wellington, and who asserted as one of the main arguments that inland works would not pay. The present proposal, however, presents a much broader base to work upon as regards the - area of country to be dealt with, which includes some the most fertile stock producing lands in the Dominion, embracing the ! whole of the Wairarapa, Forty Mile Bush, and the large district drained i by the Manawatu rivejt-, a river which I all but stretches from the east, to the j west of the island, and whose tribu- | taries reach into the Hawke's Bay Province; added to which 13, the ' country comprised within the waterI shed of the Rangitikei, Turakina, and I Wangaehu rivers, the northern portions of which are made accessible by the Main Trunk line. On the western seaboard are the fat lands' from Wanganui towards Wellington. From this rough outline it will be observed that a company would have an exceedingly large area to draw stock from, the carrying capacity of which even now runs into several millions of sheep. It is estimated that the present season will see an sxport oi quite 2,000,000 carcases of mutton and lamb, added to which will be a large quantity of beef from the Hawke's Bay and Wellington districts. Even though these figures loom large, it must not be assumed that the country described has arrived at anything like its maxij mum stagejrf productiveness, for such is not the case, for there are teas of thousands of acres as yet quite innocent of the plough, and which will from time to time become available for the growth of artificial feed upon which to fatten stock. Take our home district, Wairarapa and the Forty Mile' Bush; it is quite safe to predict that one half more sheep can be carried than obtains at the present time. Subdivision of large estates and the intense culture of the land will bring about this desirable condition of affairs. Those who contemplate taking up shares in the proposed company should not shut their eye to the future increase of stock, for it lends strength to the stability of the venture. Looking at the area under review it will be seen .that the East Coast is divided from the west bv two ranges of mountains, the I Tararua and the Ruahine, intersected j by the Manawatu Gorge, and tnat on j either side tnere is railway communi-' cation to Wellington. This brings

the question of the- best "site" where to erect the Freezing Works to the front. It has been mooted that Foxton and even Castlepoint will be suitable, but upon a glance at the map it will be see that neither place is a central position, having regard to the whole district, one beine on the extreme west and the other on the East Coast. There would appear to be two or three, alternatives, viz., works at Wellington or two sets, one in the Wairarapa, to serve it and the Forty Mile Bush, and one on the West Coast, say at Foxton. The Wellington proposal has several advantages, being central and tapped by rail via the Manavvutu and the Napier-Wairarapa lines*. The cost of landjs an important factor in calculating the expense. If a' site adjacent to Wellington was selected on the other hand lacl (coal) would be cheaper than if the works- were inland, Many settlers advocate local works from the standpoint that the nearer the slaughtering place to the farm where the stock as fattened, the less will be the deterioration ensuing from the animals being knocked about in transit per road and rail, and also that there will be considerably Jess freight on carriage as between dead and live animals, and that 'the manurial products will be close at hand to return to the farm lands which require recuperation. The Joss accruing by way qf deterioration and damage to fat stock is to some mindsa question of very great significance, and deserves more than passing notice, for upon it rests in a very marked degree the quality, flavour, and the nutritative (food) value of our meat when it reaches the English or any other market. This aspect of the frozen meat trade is well deserving of scientific investigation, so as to establish with the greatest degree of accuracy what is the actual loss not only in weight of flesh, but also in the nutrituous juices which may be lost when stock are harrassed, feverish through undergoing starvation, thirst, and a long journey by road and rail in comparison with animals killed, upon the farm, or without being long distances. Such an analysis should not present an insurmountable difficulty to the scientist and expert. A number of fat sheep or lambs, all of the same breed and even in quality from the same farm would be required as the , initial step. Half, say twenty, of these to be sent alive to the freezing works at Wellington, driven, railed, etc., under the ordinary conditions that obtain in sheep coming from some forty or fifty miles by road from the East Coast stations, the other twenty to be killed and dressed on the farm, and the carcases forwarded to the analyst, who would then determine the loss of nutritive value as between the two

lots. That there is a wide difference is pretty generally known, to those who have lived both a town and country life, or those who have visited stations after living on the meat as supplied in the towns. The remark is invariably made that the meat slaughtered on farms is far and away preferable in point of flavour. Any practical parson .accustomed to killing and the handling of meat is well aware that when an animal is falling off in condition that the meat is tough, hard, dry, and wanting in flavour, in fact has losttts most nutritive and palatable properties. It is even asserted by some authorities that meat killed under such conditions is often poisonous in its effects. When does the falling off begin? . Without doubt very soon after thejanimal is removed and driven from its normal conditions of quietude and environment, and it must become more active as the animal becomes feverish, hungry and thirsty, being for days without food or water during long journeys in hot weather along dusty roads or jambed into railway trucks. The stock breeder who prides himself on his care in breeding and catering for the frozen meat trade has not much solace for his endeavours, if through the rough handling, etc., which his stock in travelling from the pastures to be slaughtered receive if they lose their bloom and the flesh its most valuable and nutritious qualities.—• I am, etc., SHEEP-FARMER.