Jan. 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. 63 



with successive quantities of benzene to remove any remaining fat. The 

 residue left after this treatment was weighed, the weight giving the amount 

 of undigested matter in 20 grammes of meat. The percentages obtained in 

 this way are tabulated below: — ■ 



The tenderness of meat which has been frozen has often been noticed, 

 and has been attributed to the slow continuous action of the sarcalactic 

 acid, whilst the loosening of the intermuscular tissue promotes rapid decom- 

 position. In these samples this solvent action has not caused any increase 

 in the digestibility of the fibrin, nor have any signs of incipient decomposition 

 been detected, either in the frozen or chilled steak. 



II.— Lamb and Mutton. 



The second part of this inquiry deals with the relative value of hard-frozen 

 Australian lamb and mutton as against home-killed meat. For this purpose 

 Welsh lamb and English mutton were bought at Smithfield market on the 

 1st January, 1907, and comj^ared with Australian lamb killed early in October, 

 1906, and with Australian mutton also killed about the same time, but shipped 

 by a different steamer. The particulars of these four joints are as follows: — 



Cr. — A leg of prime young Welsh lamb, being a cross between the Welsh and 

 Eadnor strains, weighing about 5 lb., brought to Smithfield Market for 

 sale on 1st January, 1907. 



H. — One leg of prime Australian frozen lamb of the well-known " Champion " 

 brand, weighing 5i lb. It was shipped by the " Tropic," which steamer 

 arrived in London on the 18th December, after a voyage occupying 

 about fifty-two days, during which the meat was kept at a temperature 

 of about 20° Fahr. The lamb had subsequently been kept in the 

 Victoria Dock Store at a temperature of about 16° Fahr. The tab 

 attached to the leg indicated that the lamb was of grade 1 (i.e., weighing 

 between 42 and 50 lb.), and certified that the carcass was perfectly 

 sound, free from disease, and suitable for human consumption. The 

 lamb was loaded on steamer on 27th October, 1906, and was killed 

 probably about a fortnight or three weeks prior to that date. 



J. — One leg of English mutton of the Leicester breed, bred and fattened at 

 Taunton, and ofiered for sale on the Smithfield Market on 1st January, 

 1907. The sample leg weighed about 9 lb., and was fully representative 

 of the characteristics of the Leicester strain. 



K. — One leg of Australian frozen mutton of the well-known " Champion " 

 brand. It was shipped by the " Runic," which arrived in London 

 on the 24th December, the duration of the voyage, temperature, &c., 

 in the case of sample H applying also to sample K. The Australian 

 leg of mutton also weighed about 9 lb. It bore a tab iodicating that 



