OUR FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14099, 19 July 1911, Page 4

OUR FROZEN PRODUCE LETTER.

NELSON APPLE SHIPMENT.

(from otjb srsciix. commissioneb.)

, LONDON, June 9. It seems particularly unfortunate that tho consignment of New Zealand apples which recently arrived on tho Rimutaka, were unshipped, the greater part of them, in an unsaleable condition. Not only tho sixty or so consignors, and Messrs E. Buxton and Co., Ltd., of Nelson, the shippers, will mourn this fact, but New Zcalanders generally will regret keenly that though Australia exports nearly a million cases of apples annually to Great Britain and European markets, which pay good prices for them, New Zealand has in two consecutive seasons, and with two deliberate shipments, last year of about 4000 boxes and this year of over 5000 boxes, made a very bad failuro in marketing her fruit. As a matter cf fact, an average of 12s or 18s a box should have been realised last month— Jonathons wero making up to 16s 6d, and Cox's up to £I—and the actual result was an avorage of 4s lOd. Tho consignees, Messrs Sanderson. Murray, and Co., tell mc that they discovered that the apples were actually frbzen on the voyage, and on cutting open, the pips of many apples were found to be covered with ice. This is lamentable. In my opinion, tho instruction for apples to bo carried at 85 to 88 degs. Fahr. is cutting it too fine. The low limit should be 37 or 38 degs Fahr., for tho ship's engineer will generally get lower somehow. As it turned out. a third of the fruit was unsaleable owing to freezing, at least, that is what tho brokers report, and it is a curious thing that tho apples at the centro of the boxes suffered most. The guarantee of ld per lb. which tho consignors had from tho Dominion Government is a sorry Bolaco, and it must be seen to that the next trial does not work out so discreditably. I remember some Now Zealand apples coming over at this timo of the year, picked fruit, boing stored hero until the winter and then fetching a prize at a show at tho Horticultural Hall, Westminster. What a contrast!

FROZEN FISH PROJECT. Those who are engaged in exploiting the well-stockod sea fishing areas round the coast of tho Dominion may think it rather liko carrying coals to Newcastle, but a project is on foot for tha exploitation of frozen fish from Scotland to New Zealand. An extension of tho Aberdeen markets' cold store is to be couipped for this trade, and I understand that it is certain better-class fish which it is proposed to handle in this way. As a matter of fact, fish freezing is almost an unknown quantity in Great Britain.

VARIA. Chicago has been selected hy tho Americans as the contro for the* third International Congress of Refrigeration, which is fixed for September. 1913. The whole American refrigerating industry is combining to make this a big event. Avonmouth, Bristol, which is doing a constantly increasing import trado in frozen- produce, is said now to need its cold stores to be doubled in size, as the present accommodation is getting greatly overtaxed. With regard to the recent arrival of New Zealand beef carried by tho Muratai under the new Nelson-Tyser chilling process, a report has been spread in London that several of the seventy-two charters have shown bone taint. This is incorrect; one quarter may have hren affected, and oven then tho chilling process could havo had nothing to do with that.

THE MEAT MARKET. "With glorious June weather, and London's hot-els and restaurants' dealing in drastic fashion with New Zealand lamb, it is not surprising that tho improvement Which set in' about a month ago has continued, though this continuation has not reached the point that was expected, and which tho present enormous output of lambs suggests. Canterbury lamb in June, with all London hotels of the West End and the middle class households, clamouring for it, surely should be 5Jd per lb! But it has not reached the point. The position is that for tho five months to the end of May about 1,000,000 moro carcasses of mutton and lamb were imported from all quarters than in 1910, and it is reported that London's cold stores are heavily stocked with lamb. Tho favourable factors in the situation are that the shipments have considerably fallen off, and that the weather is all that can be desired for the marketing of imported mutton and lamb, especially the high class meats that come from New Zealand. The position of lambs as-regards values is freely stated at Smithfield to be "a. puzzle," the solution of whioh. I think, must be sought for in the heavy quantities in cold storage. Whilst mutfon Las sprung back with a sharp rebound to the 1910 prices, frozen lamb keeps well below tho quotations in June 1910. Still, it. i6 a matter for congratulation that the market has recovered from the drastic and long maintained spell of low prices. At the weakest moment North Island-lambs, selected, went at 2s 9d, ordinary at 2s 7d, and inferior were sold off th© hooks at 2s 4d. From these wretched rates Smithfield Market has recovered to the extent of about 5d per stone. Mutton has not advanced as importers hoped for, and, taking into consideration all the factors of the case, is without doubt a very cheap article-.