FRUIT-GRADING.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17756, 7 May 1923, Page 10

FRUIT-GRADING.

STANDARDISATION NEEDED. "There is no question that standardisation of fruit is necessary to put the industry on anything like a satisfactory basis," was the opinion voiced by Mr J. A, Campbell, Director of Horticulture, last week, when approached on the subject by a "N.Z. Times" representative.

The Nelson fruitgrowers, said Mr Campbell, had come to recognise that fact. Through the medium oi a largely signed petition representing three-fifths of the orchard area in the Nelson Province, they had approached the Department, asking for compulsory standardisation. The matter was under consideration, and would be seriously gone into; but it was doub.ful whether anything like the growers' request could be brought into operation thi3 year. The season was well advanced, and soon they would be dealing almost exclusively with cool storage fruit. Should a scheme which offered possibilities of solving the problem be devised, however, it was possible that it might be tried out in a moderate way in connexion with the fruit in cool stores.

Speaking of past efforts at standardisation, Mr Campbell said that once before some little standardised fruit had been placed upon the market, but without result. It had not b.-on advertised, p-aopls had not known what they were buying, and it had been swamped by the other Mailable fruit.

What Buyers Want. At present the growers seemed to be looking to advertising- to relieve the position, as was ,usual whenever theie was too much of a. commodity. But what they had to do was to devise Borne means whereby the householder, when he bought his fruit, would know what he waa getting. Advertising applied only in a< general way, and to consider the position was to come to the conclusion that standardisation was the 'basis of tuny advertising scheme. It was possible to advertise anything if it could be described enough, of course, but what did "apples," even "good apples" convey to a buyer? At present a prospective buyer, to protect himself, was foroed to come and examine the fruit, and this reduced competition. It meant that the country buyer was literally out of it. If people in town and country cotild compete on an equal footimg matters would be improved. Present System Open to Abuse. Instancing the way in which the present system of sale laid itself open to abuse, Mr Campbell Temarked that it might be known that on the local market potatoes were selling at from £5 to £lO per ton. It might, frequently would, be quite impossible to tell from a sample of potatoes whether a retailer paid £5 or £lO per ton for them, and in the event of a purchaser complaining of poor quality in potatoes for which he may have paid 12s to 18s per hundredweight (a rate of £l3 per ton), the dealer would have only to appeal to the market reports, andi though he might be sellin r produce for which lie paid £5 per ton at £lO per ton rate no one could tell. But supposing potatoes were to be quoted at say first grade £lO, second grade £7 10s, third grade £5, the position from the purchaser's point of view would be much improved, and there would 'be a oheck upon the sale.

A Success Elsewhere. Fruit grading had been oarriedi into effect in Canada and throughout the United States. The method in Canada wae to penalise the grower if his packing wae not according to standard. The grading inspector would put on men to pick the fruit over and the grower would he charged with the cost of the labour. "The past aeaeon for fruit has not been a, good; one for the growers," said Mr Campbell finally. "Though fruit has been a high price in the shops, the growers have not been receiving anything like those pricei." Returning to the matter of the country buyer's position under a grading Boheme, he ■aid:— "If a buyer in the country of 'Fanoy Grade Jonathans' of a certain eise knew what to expect, he would be able to Bay whether he got it, and would have some redress if he did not get what he wanted. But at the present time, if he buy* Jonathans he .buys Jonathans, and he has to take them u they come." FROZEN MEAT.

(b» oabi*—rmisa ABSocunoir— comw™ ■ (AVBTSAUAN IKS X.l. CABLS ASSOCIATION.) (Received May 6th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. May 6. Frozen Mutton—Canterbury, light BJd, medium 7Jd, heavy 6d : North Island, light 7Jd, medium 7Jd, heavy 5Jd; New Zealand ewes, 6id; Australian, firsts 51dj seconds sd, ewes 4Jd; Patagonian, firsts eeconds sd, ewes 4£d. Frozen Lamb—Canterbury, light and medium 10|d, heavy IOJd, spconds 9|d, other eelecteds both lid; NoiTJi Island firsts 9|d, eeconds 9d; Patagcnian, firsts 9d, seconds Bid. Frozen Beef—TTituguay, fores 2|d, hinds 4gd. Chilled Beef—Argentine, fores 4Jd, hinds s|d; Uruguay, forea 2d, hinds 4Jd; others are unchanged. '

ENGLISH MARKETS. (Received May 6th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. May 8. Ootton—June delivery 18.77 d per lb. Rubber—Para 14Jd, plantation and smoked 14Jdi to Ifi»d. Jute —May-June shipment £29 5s per ton. Hemp—April-June shipment £B2 10s per ton.

Oopra—Apiil-May shipment £27 15s par ton. Linseed Oil—£4B pet ton. Turpentine—loßb per owt. Dried Fruits—Australian Three Crown sultanas have been reduced to 95e, and are selling well.

LONDON WOOL SALES. LONDON. May 4. At the fool sties there was a poor selection of merinos, arid <m average offering of cross./ breds. Prioes were generally unchanged, "Welltown bringing 34id, Morab 35d, Marathon 57jd, and Waverly. Bid. N.Z. LOAN AND MERCANTILE AGENCY CO. LONDON, May 4. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile directors have deferred consideration of * distribution on ,the ordinary stock till oompietedi accounts aa» available. CANADIAN MERCHANT MARINE, LTD. BYDNEY, May 5. Advices from Canada state that the total deficit for the past year on the Canadian Government steameoß amounted to £1,800,000. SHARES. LONDON, May 4. Waini—Buyers, 24s 4d; sellers 25b 7d. DONAGHY'S ROPE AND TWINE CO., LTD. The annual general meeting of shareholders in Donaghy's Rope and Twine Company, Ltd., will be held in Dunedm on the 14th inst when the report and balance sheet for the year ended the 81at March, 1923, will be presented. The net profit for the year amounted to £7554 6s lid, making, with the balance of £2OOI 2s 2d brought forward from last year, a total of £3555 9s Id available for appropriation. The directors propose the payment of a divident of 8 per cent, and a bonus of 2 per cent, for the year, absorbing £3525, and the transfer of £ISOO to reserve fund and £2500 to employees' benefit fund, leaving a balance of £2030 9s Id to be carried forward.. and Dividend carried

Net profit. : amount, forward. Year ended £ percent. £ £ March, 1919 .. 6286 8 2820 18,140 March, 1920 .. 5091 10 352S 19,709 March, 1921 .. 3778 10 3525 19.963 March, 1922 .. 5064 10 3525 21,501 March, 1923 >. 7654 10 8525 25,625