NEW ZEALAND APPLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21019, 7 May 1930, Page 18

NEW ZEALAND APPLES.

OPENING OF LONDON SEASON J PREMIER’S DAUGHTER TAKES THE | FIRST BITE. i , ■' ~ / ,i (Faou Oijr Own Correspondent.) * LONDON, March 27. Two years, ago an official, opening of. * 1 the season was aii! excellent Advertise-. ;, 3 rnent for New Zealand-apples. The Right.. j Hon. L. S; Amery then > attended, and j took the first bite, and the' picture of , him performing this rite was published j in very many newspapers throughout the i country. It was difficult this year to j find a Government official who could , spare the time to perform the ceremony, but Mr T.M. Wilford (High, Commissioner) had an inspiration a. few days ago, when he sat opposite Miss Ishbel MacDonald at a dinner. Here was the lady who might perform the ceremony, and who alAo. carried the prestige which is - necessary to, ensure publicity. Miss MacDonald was pleased to accept the invitation. ■’ ' r Yesterday mormhg, a bright day of early spring, the entrance hall of New Zealand House presented a really fine picture. Selected Gravensteins, Worcea- , tera, and Alfristons, which had arrived by the Tainui, were most artistically arranged on a large stand. In the forefront were a dozen cases of the apples with lids off. The top layers had beer cleverly arranged so that the yellow Gravensteins, the red Worcesters, and the deep green Alfristons formed a pattern. At the back were a dozen handsome baskets filled with chosen fruit. . Flagsand posters completed the decorations. A poster recently published was. prominent; This shows an attractive woman draped in a New Zealand flag standing on a pavement of gorgeously red apples, and holding above her head another bright apple almist as big as herself.’ At the top is the inscription: “New Zealand Apples.” At the bottom: “The Empire's Star Turn.” Among those who had accepted invitations to attend the ceremony were representatives of the trade, including Mr James Bradnum, Mr Press , (of Messrs T. J. Poupart and Co.'), Mr Broome (of Messrs Broome and Green), Mr Ridley (of Messrs Ridley and Houlding), and Colonel C. Gray (of Messrs George Monro, Ltd.). Others were Mr E. M. H. Lloyd (assistant secretary of the Empire Marketing Board), Mr J. Macmillan (Shaw, Sayill), Mr R. Mill'(Bank of New Zealand), Mr Hal Williams (chairman of committee, New Zealand Association), Mr J. Rentoul (chairman of New Zealand Honey Board), and Mr H. W. ■ Castle (manager for “Imperial Bee” 1 Honey). A PRESENTATION, i Mrs Wilford, on behalf of the New, ■ Zealand producers, thanked Miss Mae- | Donald for her visit She asked her to ; accept a case of the apples, and she pre-. , sented her with a decorated basket of . the fruit, which Mrs Wilford said was i second to none in the world. 3 Miss MacDonald, in replying, said her f father would have attended if it had been 1 possible for him to do so, but he was * too busily engaged in other affairs. At r the week-end the whole MacDonald family would be together in London, and they

would have an opportunity of sampling ' ’“lf i find that they ate second to none. in the world,” added Miss MacDonald, “ I shall certainly'be a very good , missionary on their hehalf.” A photograph was then taken showing Miss MacDonald; takifag -tho first’.bite of a rosy apple. Last evening and this morning the picture was published- in many, newspapers, both in London' and * the provinces. -i' ... The ; High Commissioner then invited .J, tbv visitors to { dip -into a couple of bojes, i-and-in a few -.imlnutes each one of ■ 50: people wasi’ intention - sampling an-*' apple;; 1 Afterwards''; a ! number of- theu* ghests for a fety minutes in the High: Cornmissitiner’s room, whero Mr Wilford had an opportunity of meet:... ing the representatives of the trade. :