64 



A(jricultiiral Gazetts of N.S.TF. [Ja>i. 2, 1908. 



the mutton was of frradp 6 {i.e.. botwoon 60 and O.") Ih.). and inoluding- 

 a rertiiicate siniilar to that on sample H. Tlic imittoii was killed al)out 

 the middle of October, and was put on hoaid steamer on 5th November. 



It has fie((Uently l)een alleged in the })ast that frozen meat is more wasteful 

 than English, that it diminishes in weight more in pi-opoitim: (lining the 

 cooking process, has more refuse parts, which cainiot l)e consumed, and less- 

 drip|)ing and gravy. These objections have been refuted from time to time, 

 and were specially leported on in the " Hospital " in IH'.t**, dealing with 

 New Zealand mutton. Since that da.te no furtliei' tests have been brought 

 to my notice. I, therefore, according to youi- instructions, re])eated the.se 

 baking tests with the above legs of Australian lamb and. mutton, and followed 

 the detailed methods of baking in every particulai as in the former trials. 

 Mv results are as follows: — 



Weight wh'-'ii dehverud 



Weight when taken from oven 



Weight of slices snital)le for hosj)ital diet 



Weiglit of bone and waste ... 



Pure hone 



Dripping 



(jravy in dish after carving .. 



<Jravy under dri])ping 



The closeness in the I'esults of the English and Australian mutton is remark- 

 able. As in the " Hospital " experiment with New Zealand mutton, no 

 difference can be discovered of any material significance. Instead of more 

 waste, less dripping and less gravy, the Colonial produce in this case had 

 slightly less waste, more dripping, and more gravy, togethei' with a trille 

 greater weight of slices suitable for diet, although the original weight was 

 1 oz. less than the English joint. It would, however, be unfair to mention 

 such slight advantages were it not that in each case the difT(n'cnces are so 

 small as to show that the tAvo joints are practically identical in every respect. 

 As a matter of fact, the cook who carried out my instructions believed that 

 the two joints of lamb were foreign, and that the two large joints were English 

 mutton, while the slices when prepared for table were indistinguishable by 

 the consumers (in a private boarding-house in London). The consumers 

 numbered about fifteen persons, who pronounced all the kinds to be of 

 excellent quality, but invariably expressed a preference for sample " H " 

 (Australian Iamb). 



From the above figures 1 have calculated, the percentages of loss in the 

 oven, the amount of useful slices, and the amount of dripping, as shown in 

 the following table: — 



Loss in oven 

 Useful slices 

 Dripping 



Welsh 

 Lamb. 



H 



."Viistwlian 

 I.ainb. 



J 



Knirlish 

 .Mutton. 



per cent. 

 158 

 57-6 

 6 



per cent. 

 9-7 

 65 (I 

 5-4 



per cent. 

 20() 

 49-6 

 8-5 



K 



Australian 

 Mutton. 



per cent. 

 •24 T) 

 oil 

 12-0 



