BRANDING STOCK.

Waikato Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1591, 25 June 1903, Page 3

BRANDING STOCK.

A MBMBEB of the Wellington Post staff had a conversation with Mr John Holmes, the subject under discussion being the comments made by Messrs Gr. W ilcox and Co., of Sydney, in a letter printed in the Post of June Bth, and reprinted in these columns, regarding, loss caußed by the present method of branding and flaying hides in Australia. Mr Holmes, who ia one of the partners in the firm trading aa Messrs Hirst and Co., whose tanneries are atKaiwarra, has had a lengthy experience in the haudling of hides. The firm with which he is connected has been established for many years, and Mr Holmes is well qualified to Bpeak on the subject of branding and flaying. He said that this work was much more carefully rione in New Zealand than in Australia. In Victoria, particuliry, the branding was extravagantly done, he having seen aa many as nine brands on a beast, while three were a common number. All these brands were placed upon the moat valuable part of the hide from a tanner's point of view. The development of the freezing and meat export business has improved the branding and flaying in New Zealand. It is seldom that a hide nowadays contained two brands, aa the beast did not chanee bands so often as before. The freezing companies flayed the hides excellently, but-the butchers and farmers did this work very b:;dly. Mr Holmes Bays there ia a loss of good leather through this carelessness. If growers would brand low down on the hips of their cattle, or on the neck, the loss would be reduced to a minimum. Some breeders, also, made their brands too large, but in this and in other respects there has beeu considerable improvement f i effected during the past five years. An- "~ other gentleman in the hide trade suggested that the Stock Department mieht help towards a needed reform by issuing a leaflet to farmers, Bhowinc dibgrams where the brands Bhould be placed, and how flaying should be done to preserve a maximum of hide.