NEW ZEALAND BEEF AND MUTTON ON THE ENGLISH MARKET.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3136, 20 August 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND BEEF AND MUTTON ON THE ENGLISH MARKET.

The following paper was read at the last meeting of the Waikato Farmers' Club by Mr R. Reynolds. It. deals with the subject of particular breeds that suit the English market, and counsels the farmers not to "put nil their eggs in one basket. It led to a useful discussion, of which we append ti short resume. The paper was as follows: — Mr Chairman and Gentlemen of the Waikato Far mere' Club,—l would very much r.ither he.-ir anv member of tliis Club read si paper than do so myself, but being in possession of information that may benefit the district at large in an important blanch of our surplus product, I, as a member of this community, cannot conscientiously hold back what may be of value to this district in the near future. I recnf;nise the fact that it difficult for the cluiirtnau to provide material that will make our meet inßs attractive ami instructive) continuously. Many members within rcriaonsiblo dUtunce absent themselves from our monthly meetwho might contribute valuable infor mati'in, and loie nothing by so doing. My wish is to place before you some fucts re mutton and beef for export. I have m> wish or intention to dictate to anyone about which is the best sort of breed—localities and various sorts of land require the bent judgment of those in occupation—bnt after all argnments are ended, breeders generally will support the class thut returns tho most money per acre with the least outlay. Many able letters have been written latsly, which we have had the pleasure of reading in Thk Waikato Timhs and The New Zealand Farmer. Present fncts point in farour of the Down and Down-cross sheep, hut we shall have to guard against wholesale departure from the old lines For fear of disaster, should circumstances alter with regard to the demand for our exports. Wβ must study most closely the article that will return a payable result from our outlay. Wβ know well that wo can sell anything at a price, bnt if that price is not remunerative t'i buyer and seller, it will soon give way to some more profitable pro-, duct, simply because the buyer will not continue to buy unless its pays him to do so; but uufortuiiately in the Meantime there has bean loss of time, and very possibly capital. I ain sura that we all recognise the fact that every sheep or bullock exported makes its mate of more value in the local market. We ought to have a large meat surplus within a few years. I think most of you will agree that those of us who occupy small improved farms of considerable taxoble value must grow that which will give us a quick return, or, in other words, that which will develop into a paying price in the shortest time and do least injury jfcn our farms. I have sold most of my own bred two and a-half-year-old cattle this year at that age for beef, and have seen them anld at the tame pries as others two years older in the same market. People occupying large areas of cheap lund do not feel the necessity of this nearly as much. We know that some breeds of sheep will lay on fat in bulk, but unfortunately they do not ssein to be the sort that best suits the taste of our export consumers. I am now going to speak of mutton that fetches a price nearest to the best English. Last season I bought on behalf of Messrs Reynold.* and Co., Limited, some thousands of sheep and lambs for expert, but through thn greater part boing unsuitable in quality (although the weight was right), we shall reluctantly be compelled to withdraw as buyers, except of choice lots » of course, we conld make it. pay by giving lesi for them, bnt that we do not intend to offer, as we know the price given last season was only a reasonable one fur the producer. Some cf the lambs exported gave satisfaction. It may be satisfactory to sellers and shippers to know that the usual report from the Auckland Freezing Company as to the quality of Una lot was confirmed at the other end. These, I was tol4. were got by Shropshire rams out of half-bred ewes. Lambs may be kept too old, and thereby get too heavy or more like 3heep. but they must be fat—cannot be too fat—and should be tailed or castrated when young. If the tails are left on till they are killed, the flesh shrinks back from the bone, and they look quite different unimals to those tailed when young audhaving plump stumps about two inches long. I will now read you extracts from my brother's letters about mutton that fetches the highest price in the London market:—March 19th, 1892: "I notice there are 700 sheep coming; in the Ruapehu. These will be right if quality is right. The whole cry is for Canterbury sheep. The more I see of things the more I am convinced that to get the quality you must have Down sheep, and the carcases must be nicely streaked with loau." March 30th : '' Nothing will obtain a good price here but that of prime quality, whether of meat, butter, or anything else. Sheep must be fat enough and not too heavy, with lean meat mixed nicely with the fat. I can plainly see, to get the right kind, people will have to go into some of the Down breeds. After having a guod look round the markets and retail butchers, I am more convinced on this head than when I was last in Waikato, and a furnished weight of. 55 to Gslbs is the best." April 15th : " It is no use sending this fat Lincoln str.ff. If the settlers think they are going to have weight of fleece and quality of mutton in the same sheep they are mistaken." April 29th:—"The Smithfield market, people carefully explained to me the other day that those sheep you sent with Merino in them do not eat nearly so well as the Down, although the weight may be right. They would make a half-penny per lb num if they had Down in them instead of Merino." These reports are based on different consignments we sent Home last season. To test the London market with beef wa sent Home thirty picked bullocks bred by the New Zealand Land Association, and the report is as follows:—May 9th.— " The beef was grand no doubt about it, the Smithfield people say ' The bullocks were equal to anything on the English market,' but the freezing very rnnch damasro* the meat. The American beef hanging alongside (although not nearly so good bullocks, but only chilled) was selling at a penny per lb more than ours. We got a small joint of the Piako swamp beef, and cooked it yesterday for dinner. It was fairly good, but it won't do somehow, too leathery and tough ; wouldn't go down with any but the poorer people ; but after all the juice was pretty well in it. Perhaps it would have been better had we kept it a few days longer; the whole secret may be in keeping it long enough after thawing, must tr; another piece." I wish it distinctly t.i be j understood that these remarks apply solely t* moat for export. There is always a more ready sale in the English market for firstclass produce than for inferior, and seeing there is such a quantity of second-class meat sent to England from necessity, I think our only safety for a pajing price is to send first-class produce in a suitable form for the English ta«te. We are fortunate in having a country that can produce meat, etc., eqiiiil to anything in the world, and I hope before, longeuch bullocks as we sent Home last season will sell at a price that will pay us to produce them; that figure, would be •oneiderably below what it costs the English fanner at the present time. Mr Forrest said 20 years ago land ■was dear, wages woro higher than at the present time, and everybody appeared to be thriving, and yet at that time the cry was for exports ani then they should all make their fortunes. Now they did a good export trade, but it had not made their fortunes Land had gone down in value, wages had been reduced, and they were all grumbling. If that was the result of exporting, he thought they would be better without it. There was a species of mania now for Down sheep ; but he thought some of the big companies of Waikato. who had imported Downs at a great cost, were now in great distress with their flocks. Why was it the Downs, which had been in the district Jfor years and were good-bred ewes, had not made their mark ? Mr Neleoa, of the celebrated freezing lirm, said it was purely a question of size as to what sold well in England, and in Hawke's Bay very good freezers were bred without the use of the Down. He thought much had been done by newspaner farming, the Waikato Times being one of the culprits. The farmers were first told to plant orchards, then they were told to go in for wheat as cattle could not be relied on (at which many had badly burned their fingers) and now the Down sheep \rere being cracked up. Tke men who conducted the business should surely, be the best judges of

their requirements. Ho did not think tlio Club should advocate Down sheep or any particular brood ; if it did and the farmers again burned their fingers, Look out! He proceeded to move ii resolution in that direction, but \vi!s ruled out of order.—Mr Geo. Watt said the best mutton ho had over tasted was Down. He hud had considerable experience with thft Down sheep and he did not think any of the Down breeds could be compared to the Merinos for havinsr the foot rot. The Downs Mr Forrest had referred to hud not had fair play given them «r there would not have been any ''great distress"' about them. If he wanted mutton ho should brood Southdowns. —Mr G. E. Clark said Mr Forrest had quoted from a letter of Mr Nelson's ; he (Mr Clark) had also road in the press that Messrs Nelson and Co. had informed the sheep breeders of Napier that, if they desired continuing Iho export of frozen mutton they were producing; or, if they wished a boiling-down establishment, the firm were prepared .to erect one. The manager of the Bfilfast Freezing Works had most Vimphnitically pronounced the Down sheep to produce the premier carcase for freezing; the manager of the Auckland Freezing Co. had written in the same strain, and that evening they had the testimony of Mr Reynolds that that is the sheep that will sell readily in London when nothing else will. Such convincing evidence should settle the question as to the best sheep for export, and from experience gathered during the past few months, froni black-faced sheep sent to the Auckland market, he was convinped they would occupy the same position there as in London, when obtainable in regular supply.- Although a strong believer in the Down-cross, lie was convinced that much caution is needed. If farmers would rush into this class of sheep headlong and continue tho cross with the view of workiug up a Down flock, the chances were that nine out of ton would make a shipwreck of the effort. Whilst the pure Down ram may safely bo put on any crossbred white-faced sheep with the certainty, with \ roper food provided, of producing the best and earliest fat lambs, or a sheep that will mature early and give a suitable carcase for freezing; with a view to clearing the ewes and wethers—this would be a step in the direction of making a provision forexporting so much of our surplus stock. The Lincoln, Leicester, Rom-j ney and Merino breeders could each stick' to their own breeds of sheep, and each man to tho class of sheep best adapted to his own country, and others could cross these sheep to produce ewes for those that would use the Down ram. If those who had very largo flocks and were compelled to export would use a portion of their flocks to breed expressly for the frozen moat trade, thus making their stations noted for producing tho premier mutton or lamb for the London market, the number of sheep south of Mercer (Avhich has increased from 90,000 to 430,000 in about four years) may be still further increased with advantage to all; but if they wore to act on the advice of their friend, Mr Fofrest,slmtting their eyes to facts that were placed before them, and blaze away with the Lincolu, their flocks of which had come far beyond tho provincial requirements, and from their unsuitability for freezing could not be exported save,.at a loss to the purchaser, he failed to see anything before the sheep industry but utter ruin. He further stated he believe d any country that would carry the Lincoln would carry the progeny from the first cross with the Down better, than the pure Lincoln.—The Chairman thought Mr Eeynolds' paper a very temperate one. Nobody could deny that Down mutton best suited the London market, but which would pay the farmer best was for them to decide.—Mr D. Caley said Down lambs came to hand earlier than Lincolns. He preferred Shropshire to South Downs.—Mr Buttle said after all it was a matter of £ s. d., and he did not think they had had sufficient experience to give au opinion.—-Replying to the criticisms upon his paper, Mr .Eeynolis said that it was quite within the province of the Club to bring out the good points of any breed. People left the Downs,and rushed into the longwools when wool rose in price. He would sooner take Mr Grigg's opinion on the matter of the breed for freezing than Messrs Nelson's, for the latter got their profit out of the offal, while the former had to depend upon the price his sheep realised on the market. He (Mr Reynolds) had latnly sent half-bred lambs to Auckland and topped the market at 11s, when good Lincoln lambs were sold at 8s 3d: He had never advocated, as had been reported about, the doing away of Lincolns ; he wished that to be distinctly understood. He thought there was plenty of room for all th e breeds, each farmer keeping what ho lound suited his requirements bsst.— Mr Forrest: " Then lam satisfied." —On the motion, of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Forrest, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Reynolds for having given the Club the benefit of his experiences with the London markets upon a subject that is of such vital importance to the farmers of Waikato at the present time.