PATAGONIA 157 



" These works were followed two years later by similar works 



at St. Gregory Bay. about 70 miles from Rio Seco, and 

 later by other works at Puerto Borieo. on the shore of Ultima 

 Esperanza, an inlet from the Pacific, and about 180 mile- from 

 Punt a Arena- : also at Gallegos, in Argentine Patagonia, on 

 the Atlantic, about 200 mile- from Punta Arenas, and in 

 1917 work- were started in Punta Arena- itself. 



" The season in Patagonia is a very short one. lasting usually 

 from the middle of January to the latter part of May, the 

 actual working time being a little over one hundred working 

 days. 



" For the remaining part of the year the works are closed 

 down, during which time extensions, alterations, or repairs are 

 effected. 



" For this reason, during the season work is carried on at 

 high pressure, and it is of the utmost importance that every- 

 thing should go smoothly and without hitch. 



" In arranging the programme for the season, the ideal aimed 

 at is that the sheep shall arrive at the works at the same rate 

 that they can be killed, which varies from 3000 to 4000 per day. 



" As the sheep are sometime^ a- much as fifteen day- on the 

 track, walking from the farm to the works, a programme is g< I 

 out and arrangements made for several weeks ahead. 



"' Every sheep is selected by the freezing works' own 

 * approvers." who visit the various farms for this purpose. In 

 some cases the approver will go through 10,000 sheep in 

 selecting 3000. 



"" A part of the <heep for the San Gregorio, Rio Seco and 

 Punta Arenas work- are also br» \ vet by steamer from 

 Tierra del Fuego. 



'" Most of the works have a canning plant in addition, and 

 at the Bories works they have a felimongery where they treat 

 their own skins. There is also a felimongery at Tres Pontes, 

 about three miles from Punta Arenas, where the skins from the 

 Punta Arenas and Rio Seco works are treated. At these 

 works as many a- 6( -kins can be treated per day. 



"" The method of loading varies at the different works, the 

 general method being to load the carcases into trucks., which 

 are then run down to a pier, where they are transferred to the 



