OUR PRODUCE AT HOME.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1908, Page 5

OUR PRODUCE AT HOME.

IMPROVEMENT OF ITS STANDARD. STATEMENT BY HON. R. M'NAB. tn reply to a question by a Post lepresentntive as to whether he thought the visit to London of Messrs. Cuddy (Dajry Commissioner) and Reakes (Assistant Chief Veterinarian), was calculated to imprpve tho standard of our produce 1 hi the markets of Great Britain, the Minister for Agriculture (Hon. R. M'Nab) said enormously."' "In what way!" the Minister was Asked. "Messrs. Cuddy and Reakes," said the hon. gentleman, "are tho pioneers of a policy of having men, who havehad New Zealand experience-, and know intimately our grading and inspection, and who at the other end of the world can, in their minds-eye, leproduce that grading and inspection. Once they are established there, and kept in touch with our graders at this end by periodic change- of men, we- produce a human machine, as it were, which at the other end of the world can read the article in tho light of its grading in New Zealand. Knowing our system perfectly, they look with the New Zealand inspfctor's eyes at the article ufter it •comes out of the cold storage, and the all' World trip, aitd- then at once , tell how many points it hus lost from its original grading and flavour and colour, Or in anything that goes to make up the grading. That cannot be done now. Once they got this information, it can bo classified and arranged, to, enable us to detect whether higK-poin,ted butters depreciate more on the voyage than low-pointed. We. will nUo obtain information whether 'the colour-points depreciate, and to what extent, when high, or low marked. Tlib satne in regard td flavour and texture. Supposing we were to ascertain that a very nigh-grad-ed butter scarcely depreciates at all, while low-graded butters depreciate very much, we will then be able to arrange for' high-graded butters at this end io receive special distinction^ /and give to the English consumer a guarantee on buying on the New Zealand points be will get an article in. England that has not depreciated more than so many points (whatever the ntimber may bs). That guarantee will mean a great lot to the English consumer, but it will mean more still to our own producers hero who know what are tho strong points of production for t'lie round-the-world trip, and what are the indifferent or weak ones. ' Once they obtain tnat knowledge, the course which lies open for them to follow is as plaints noonday. That is what avo anticipate will enable us to produce an artjele that will cheat the elements of decay that accompany a long voyage. It will not improve the make from any other point of view, but is simply to make a voyagedepreciating resisting butter and cheese." "In regard to meat," added the Hon. 'Mr. M'Nab, "not being a manufactured article, the points to bo observed arc slightly different, but are of equal importance ; and there is this additional field : that a veterinary surgeon uequainted with our conditions and work here will always be present to advise us as to the truth or otherwise of the statements that are continually put in circulation that New Zealand meat of a diseased or in an unfit condition for food, is being foisted on the London consumer."