N.Z. EGGS IN LONDON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1382, 7 March 1912, Page 8

N.Z. EGGS IN LONDON.

PROSPECTS FOR A NEW INDUSTRY. The consignment of eggs sent by a Dunedin firm to. Messrs. 11. A. Lane and Co., of Tooley Street, is, says the London correspondent of the Otago "Times," a r.happy-augury fnrih'.'uew and profitable ,New Zealand industry. The consignment consisted of 20 boxes, each 'containing Ml eggs, packed in oat husks, and each egg. wrapped in a piece of grease-proof paper. The eggs themselves had been dipped in some preparation, tout this can be avoided in future. Spring- eggs—September and October—will .stand ft very much longer journey than eggs that are laid in the IS'ew Zealand summer or autumn, consequently there is no need for Dominion exporters to go to the trouble of dipping the eggs in any preparation whatever. It would be quite sufficient to store them in a cool chamber; and, also, if packed in cardboard fillers in boxes each containing 30 dozen, they would carry and travel very much better. Tho packing of the consignment in question was quite unsuitable for the London laarket. The majority »f the eggs shipped to London are packed in olein white woodwool, in long rases of 1440 each. These carry with them, according to the terms of the London egg market, CO eggs per long case, which is termed the London allowance to cover any excess breakages. Canadians and Americans pack their eggs in boxes of 360, and use the cardboard fillers, in which case they save the usual London allowance, as the quarter eases so packed are always sold net. That is the full count, and there is no allowance at all. The boxes from Dunedin were heavy and clumsy airl altogether unsuitable. The American box is ;i. good model, ami is made to contain 180 each side, with three dozen eggs on each layer. The quality of the-New Zealand eg»s was very fiiie. They came over in the cheese cliamber in a temperature of a little under 50, and were as new when they arrived in London as it is possible to get oggs at this time of the year, with the exception of those direct from the nest. There is a good trade to be done from NewZealand in eggs if the farmers are able to get their production here during the months of December and January, when prices are at their highest in London. Spring eggs from the Dominion could be sold here as strictly fresh. The Dunediu eggs were a fair sizenamely, 14Ub. per 120. They were white in colour, whereas eggs with a little colour are always more attractive to the London trader.