TORAL SOCIETY. NEW ZEALAND POULTRY IN LONDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2428, 26 September 1900, Page 8

TORAL SOCIETY. NEW ZEALAND POULTRY IN LONDON.

WHERE ARE THE HEADS AND FEET? VARIOUS COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTIONS. a CFeom Oun Own Correspondent.) LONDON, August 10. Often it bos been my duty to remonstrate upon the eccentricities of New Zealand pro; ducers, who, v.lisn making most laudable efforts to create a new tiade or to find a market for some new branch of New Zealanel piodi'oe, ream utterly to neglect all the meapurcs which common een^o might tell them ore necessary in order to secure such market. A fresh instance of this eccentricity has just come under my notice. I prefer to let one of the London papers state the case, so that it may not bo imagined that I am overstating it. The City Prer-s says : — " A curious consignment of poultry hag just arrived in London on the Morayshire, from New Zealand, the whole of the birds being minus heads and feet. The quality of both fowls and ducks is beyond reproach, but the poulterer i& not over anxious to bid, ps tho maimed condition of the poultry renders it unsuitable fox.' &hoiv on the shop front. Some 20 or more crate of the produce have been di'poocd of at Le?denhall, a-nd we understand that a quantity I'iis been delivered at Smithfield. The only explanation conceivable is | that the sender? are not experienced traders, and separate tho heads and fcoo in ignorance of tho cu'lom prevailing in the trade as to the importation of poultry. la view of ihe fact t'jat just now home supplies are plentiful, the mi-take is the more unfortunate." Yes, it i=. But that i* the way Now ZaaI'Uhl producer* have mi^ed so many chances, as happened -formerly in the case of other orlicles. It i« absolutely necessary for those who send produce to this country to make sure beforehand tiiat they know and undorotand all the conditions which must be satisfied if a lemunerative sale is to be expecteel. No pioceeding could be sillier than to send Home produce imagining that merely because it is good in itself it will therefore command a ready srle. Nothing can be further from the true state of the case. Produce has to pass through certain hands and along particular channels. It is never bought direct by the consumer. And tho-e intermediaries who regulate the distribution of produce will not look at it unless ifc bo at once seen to fulfil certain conditions which they have laid down as to quality, uniformity, and method of presentation. If it be not of the exact kind they want, or are accu&tomed to deal with, if the quality be not uniform throughout, if it be packed or made up in a way other than they are used to or approve, they simply will not touch it with a pair of tongs, and so it has to be sold for anything it will feteh — which is generally very little, indeed. It is useless for colonial producers to be annoyed at the system. They are utterly helpless against it, and always will be until they learn the lesson which I have so long and so often sought in vain to inculcate — of co-operation in the distribution of their own produce. Here, again, is another criticism which might be taken to heart with advantage in the colony. A London paper rays: — "Complaints continue to be made of the crowding j and generally bad packing of New Zealand ( poultry. Boxes in which only 10 birds ought I to be packed frequently have 15 crushed into i them, with the result that they are quite mis- ■ shapen, and bring from 3d to 6cl each lees ' than they would otherwise elo. Another j serious complaint made is of the slipshod inspection which permits a not inconsiderable proportion of fowls quite unfit for this market to be packed away among birds of a very high class. A few of these have, actually been seized and condemned as unfit for food solely I on account of their poor condition; many more have been sold for anything they would fetch. Birds of that kind are not worth the trouble of killing and sending here. It is particularly to be regretted that they are actually sent, when the great bulk of the consignments from New Zealand show fowls of such excellent quality, as the uncertain grading makes buyei-3 shy of paying high prices for cases. Good fowls from New Zealanel are making *2s 6d to 3s; ducks, Is 9d to 2s 3d." I have made personal investigation into the facts concerning the poultry, and I find them even more exasperating to a New Zealander desirous of the welfare of the colony than at first sight appeared to be the case. Tho poultry actually fetched thw top price at the sales —from 2s 9d to 3s 3d each, wholesale. But when the buyers came to take delivery and open the cases they refused. And naturally. For the birds were smothered with blood and thawed water. 'To describe them as unpresentable would be putting the situation very mildly indeed. As a matter of fact, they were eventually sold to coster-mongers atless than half what was. originally bid, to be hawked about in barrows. The arrant stupidity of the whole thing! Nearly two years ago, when there seemed a prospect here for New Zealand poultry, I secured and sent you the advice of one of the best men at Smithfield as to how the poultry should be sent here. Later on, Mr H. C. Cameron sent an exhaustive report to the Government, which, of course, would be accessible to anyone in the colony who chose to write to the Agricultural department. In thip, Mr Cameron mentioned that the best way to kill the fowl or duck was by piercing the brain by inserting a sharp knife through the roof of the mouth. And it was expressly added that it would be well to stuff the beak with cotton wool or other like substance, to prevent blood and moisture dripping- out and so disfiguring the carcase. Further, in order to give ocular demonstration of what is required here, two firms to my knowledge— there may be more— sent out birds from here in. order that New Zea'landers might see what was required. The firms were Messrs Lovell and Christmas, the acquirers of Messrs Reynolds' business, and Messrs Oetz anad Garretson. These bird's were exhibited !as the winter agricultural shows. But for all the good that advice and specimens have done, the trouble taken has apparently al l been wasted. Why? Tho only reason of which I can think is the saving of cubic space — therefore of freight. It is just the same with rabbits, If an extra one can be jammed into a case from. New Zealand it is done, forgetful altogether that" appearances here go a long way. I have seen New Zealand rabbits here looking for all the world just like cats worried to death by dogs,, and then trampled on and crushed by horses and carts. All to save a few farthings in. freight! Can_tlie

"penny wise and pound foolish" go further?