THE FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1824, 15 March 1884, Page 4

THE FROZEN MEAT INDUSTRY.

(FEDRAL AUSTRALIAN) At a recent mooting in the Engli&h Farmers' Club, held in London, a paper was read on the decrease of live-stock in Great Britain, in which the following facts were stated :—lhe: — Ihe number of sheep in Great Britian has decreased, within the eight yeais from 1874 to ISS2, fiom 30,314,000 to 24,319,713, or be 6,000,000 in round numbers ; and the number of cattle has similary declined from 6,125,491 to 5,807,491, These figures made a deep impression on the audience, It was admitted on all hands that so very large a decrease in live stock of the three kingdoms, when there ought by rights to have been an increase commensurate at lease with the increase of the population, is a truly alarming circumstance. Rapidly diminishing meat supplies and a rapidly increasing population are two related facts which bode ill for the future well-being of England. The causes which have brought about this disastrous state of tilings in the old country form no fitting subject for inquiry here ; but it is allowable to point out the bearing it has on the progress of one of our staple industries. As respects her meat supplies, Great Britain's extremity is Australia's opportunity, In proportion as her available stock of home-grown meat becomes scantier, her demands for supplies from abioad become more urgent. Australia, New Zealand, and America must rise into higher importance as meat- producing countries, _ and the latest accounts from colonists in London amply sustain this deduction. There can no longer be any doubt entertained of the existence of a profitable field for our frozen meat indurtry. This fact is so fully appreciated by the NewZealand flock-owners that contracts have been entered into, on their behalf, with certain shipowners in England to have built, on account of their owners, several large steamers expressly designed for the conveyance of frozen meat thither. The ships are each to be fitted with the BellColeman machines, and they aie to make six consecutive trips from Oamaru, at intervals of six months, the first load to bo shipped next August, 2."), 000 sheep to be taken each time and to be frozen on board, the steamer lying 35 days foi this purpose and 15 days for dischaiging, without cost. Every detail has been carefully attended to, and splendid arrangements made for selling the me.it. On arrival it will be distributed all over England and {Scotland by a fiim largely engaged in the Americam meat tiade, and who have numinous depots. All this (as the phrase run 1 -) means business; and the New Zealand flock owners may faiily be congratulated on the ei.l.uged pio«pect thus opened up to them of profitably disposing of their surplus stocL A letter from Mr Cowderoy, read at the last meeting of the Chamber of Commerce; was largely devoted to the same subject. Writing from London, the secretary states tint he found the New Zealand mutton in gi eater favour with the .London wholesale butchers than the Australian mutton, on account of its laigest seize <>nd alleged hweeter flavour. The price obtainable foi Australian mutton is from 20 to 2."> per cent below that of the best English and Scotch mutton — say, ,">UI to G< 1 a pound. Even as the case stands, however, the cunning London butcher will not "stick" at palming off the imported article for tin; home-grown one, w hencvei he can find an opportunity. As rogaids beef, the American giaxier, as it appo.us, is quite able to boat the Australian grazier out of the English maiket. The chance of successful competition in this one article seems to be vciy remote. The hints and suggestions for the improvement of the Australian trade in frozen mutton thrown out in this letterare of a very valuable character, and ought to win attention fiom all who are interested in the industry. The writer says, very turly, " England, wants our meat. Without it thousands of families would scarcely know the Liste of mutton. If it loses any of its nutritious piopeities in the piocesses of freezing and thawing, the diminution of value in that respect must bu scarcely appreciable. It ought, therefore, to be worth as much, or ne.uly so, as English mutton. With a diminishing supply of home-grown mutton, the English consumei is as much interested in maintaining the trade as our own growers ; still, however, the nraikct cannot be forced, and time is wanted to establish a piofitible demand." Which interval of tmu 1 , we may add, might well be put to good account by the Australian flock-owntu's in completing their aiiangements for resuming the trade under more favourable conditions for themselves than the former ones, w ere. The opportunity is still available, experience teaches wis dom, and it " is never too Kite to mend."

Oil your tools in dry weather The pores arc then open. Chick.s should not be fed immediately nfter they are hatched. Scr U'E up all the refuse available as manure for future u&e. Cat tit out and spread it upon cultivate fields or meadows, and you will hear trom it next suminoi in inciuabcd ciops. The best ululated dailies are those where the cowb aie tieated with fhmncbs made to know their places, and keep in them. A cow is as easily spoiled with over-indulgence as with too haish treatment. One man hit upon a plan, not, we think, altogether no\cl, of tapping the iindeigrouiul supplies in the Mallee. Cutting dentil a few of tho saplings, and leducing them to about 4ft lengths, he inserted one end in a fire and rested the other in an impiovised trough, which caught the sap as it was diivcn down by the he.it. In tin's way lie obtained a drink and «avcd his life. It is said that in an hour a pint of water cm be collected out of a dozen such malice sticks. There is no profit in keeping an old sheep. Sheep are shorter lived than most other farm animals, and almost be fore one knows it some of the best members of the flock will begin to pet old. Call them out and keep the flock young and flesh. Under otdinary circumstances six or seven years is probably the limit of a bheep's life. Hall-\v\v woik is little better than no work. When yon undeitaketo exterminate thistles, or daises, or eouoh glass do it. Don't lest s-atisficd with trying and w ith pai tial success. Plough them under and keep them there by te peated ploughing^. When you hoe a crop do it in such a manner that there will be no living weeds left behind your hoe. Good work is the cheapest. "John," said a druggist's cleik, "how is our stock of lint for bandages ? " Got plenty," said John. "Andarneca, ate •we well supplied with that? 1 "Yes, sir ; a fresh barrel just received this morning." " Our stock of salves, lotions and broken bone remedies of all sorts is complete, is it ?" " Yes, sir ; we've got enough of everything." " Very well, then," said the ptoprietor, glancing at the sky through the front window, "it looks as though we might have a cold, freezing night, and you had better go out and wash down the steps."— Phil. Call. Henry Clay, the American statesman, never liked to see dumb animals •worried, and once, passing down an Avenue, he descned a crowd at sport with a billygoat. Mr Clay drove them away, and as they scampered, billy, seeing nobody but Mr Clay within reach, made charge at him. Clay dropped his cane, and caught his goat-ship by the horns. The goat then took to rearing up, being nearly as high as the Kentuckian himself, and he had to pull him down again. This soon became tiresome ; Clay could conceive of no way to clear himself, bo in desperation he sang out to the boys to know what; to do. One of the smallest of the crowd shouted, "Let go, and run, you fool ! " Clay always maintained that, though he«igued the Treaty of Ghent, yet that rouged boy knew more than he