NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN LONDON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10762, 29 March 1897, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN LONDON.

(From Oun Own Correspondent.) j LOOTON, February 20. I WOOL. | . The first series of wool sales for the current year was closed on the 10th inst. The last week of the sales developed little change as to the price of tnerino wools, but crossbreds remained firm to the end, and medium descriptions closed slightly ; stronger. Some of the North Island crossbred ii-ools went oif particularly well. SEW ZEALAND MEAT.—SOME PLAIN-SPOKEN WARNINGS. . ! Of the New Zealand meat market I am sorry to say I have very little to state that is at all chetring. It is still suffering from the glut of sheep of medium or poor quality. This, please remember, is not my version, but i 3 the account aiven by all the leading authorities, to which I desire to direct special attention... For instance, Messrs H. S. Fitter and Sons say :—" It is most unfortunate that the warning and advice (as to quality) we have given from time to time has not been more seriously considered by oiir frfe'nds in New Zealand. Too much attention, has been paid to the production of wool and far too little to the eating quality of the mutton— i that is, if the frozen meat trade is to be a success. At the present time there is a very large stock of thin, plain Canterbury sheep in London, and winch are absolutely useless to buyers of best mutton, and compare most .unfavourably with many of tbe Australian sheep that are being offered at 2}d per lh. As a natural consequence buyers are gradually losing faith in Canterbury mutton, and this is not at all surprising to anyone who has tried the eating qualities of these plain sheep. There is only one way in which New Zealand can hope to compete successfully with other txporting countries, and that is to breid the really, prime sheep, sucfi as pure Southdowns." Messrs W. Weddell and Co. say:—"No doubt damaged carcases, of which there are a good many about at present, have something to do with the dumping down of values to the low rates now ralins, but what is more responsible for the unSitisfaetory state of the market than anything else is the indifferent quality of.a large percentage of the sheep now being sold. This applies equally to both grades, and if shippers wish to maintain their position in the English market they will certainly have to be more careful in the future to the {election of their sheep. Complaints as to quality ?re being "constantly heard, and it is a well-known fact that some buyers who used formerly only to buy secondary New Zealands for use in their ' -'"-ops are beginniug to find prime Australians suit their purpose quite as well. Acd the C. C. and D. Company say : "Ithas bean for months apparent to those connected with the market how very much New Zealand mutton has fallen in public estimation, and how many butchers who have dealt in it for years have now given it up. The indifferent quality of so much that has been offered, its generally stale condition, and the difficulty that was experienced in ensuring a supply of really prime mutton have driven butchers on to other meat, when they found their customers complaining and their trade jeopardised. In marked contrast to the very low prices generally ruling, some very prime Down wethers (prize-takers at Wellington) in fresh, bright condition, gold as soon as put on the market at 4|d per lb, and more of the same sort Would have been taken had they been obtainable. DAIRY PRODUCE. There is a slight decline in the price of New Zealand butter, but quotations s-till stand at 98s to 100s for ' choicest," other grades beiDg in proportion. Writing to me to-day from Glasgow, Messrs Dempster, Peterson, and Co. say:—"We have to report a very quite tone in our market for butter. Sellers have beeu specially anxious to effect a clearance, anfl have accepted very low prices. For choicest Australian butter 98s was taken on the spot, snd for secondary qualities 92s to 9Cs. Buyers generally anticipate a fall in the Copenhagen market, and consequently are very indifferent about buying till they know the exact position in Copenhagen." New Zealand cheese is in very active demand at splendid prices. SD.S to 60s being readily given for white, and ls less for coloured. With regard to cheese Messrs Djmpster, Peterson and Co. write :—Both Canadian and New Zealand chee?e is scarce, and command full prices, 58s to 603 being current quotation?"!" New Zealand butter is now admittedly anion" the best in the market. It is the most eagerly inquired for of all colonial butter, and is considered decidedly to have beaten the Australian. The marked superiority of this reason's shipments ia the subject of gerieral complimentary remarks. Some (experts attribute the improvement in a larg-i degree to the adoption of the system of Government grading, which v/as so strongly advocated by Mr Henry licvuoids, and which Inspr"- ---' Mated a i.'ood. dual of bullyr o. inferior ipinli-v

] being sent Home. In this way the system of in- | speclion and grading at the New Zealand end has i been productive of highly beneficial results. It is < now said that the New Zealand grass will pro- . ducemuch better butter than any that could be ! possibly turned out iv Australia. ; I may mention that Messrs Henry Reynolds • and Co. have just disposed of their London business in connection with the consignment of dairy : produce, Ac, to Messrs Lovell and Christmas, the ;. purchasers of the New Z«iUnd business. ' MISCELLANEOUS. There i< nothing doing just now in New Zealand grain or flax, and quotations are merely nominal. There is little demaud for preserved meats, aud the markets are dull. Tho tallow market is quiet, at this wpek's siles only about 700 casks were sold out of 1980 offered. The latest quotations for finest tallow- are .-—Mutton, 20s to 21s 3d ; beef, 185 6dto Ills 3d. Hides are i-trong, and there is a brisk demand for export At the last sales nearly all that were offered were sold, the lighter clashes ruling from id to Id per lb higher. Heavier qualities ar-s unchanged. There is nothing fresh ; to be said about rabbitskius.