PRODUCE NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1978, 8 March 1893, Page 3

PRODU CE NOTES.

(From the Dunedin ' Evening Star's ' London

Correspondent )

London, January 21. A perennial source of amusement to all people, even slightly acquainted with the trade methods of the übiquitous (or, as "Some would have it, " iniquitous ") middleman, is the tremendous " fluster " made every now and then by one or other of our Home papers over the "discovery " that New Zealand mutton is often sold to the innocent consumer as "prime" Scotch, Wehh, or English. Quite recently the ' Evening News ' restarted this poor old hare, and ran it hither and thither in a most surprising fashion. All sorts of people were interviewed, from the Agent-General down to the humble Whitechapel tradesman, and the butchers' frauds were made patent to a wondering world for the fiftieth time. The editor laßhed himself into a righteous fury, and in leaders called upon the powers to at once put a stop to this " rreat swindle." Whilst hunting up facts concerning the forgoing, the 'News' man made a second "discovery" — viz, that Plate mutton is often palmed off as New Zealand ! More interviews and leaders. Soon the fun commenced, and all sorts and conditions of men began to make proposals as to the best method of preventing the imposition. One creature, with more imagination than good sense, urged that all imported carcasses should foe branded with I green aniline dye. Another, somewhat less fatuous, favored the idea of running different colored threads through the meat ; and a third person advocated the use of branding irons. But all these suggestions were made with a view to identifying carcasses alone, a totally unnecessary proceeding, since the public do not generally buy whole sheep, and the middleman himself is not to be imposed upon. Tosufficieatly protect the public, then, it will be necessary to compel butchers to identify, by aome means or other, the nationality of every joint and out of the car cesses cut up for sale, for it is just as big a fraud to vend a loin chop or a" scrag " of New Zealand mutton for Scotch or Eog'ish as it is to sell a leg, shoulder, or saddle under similar guiee. The same applies to the sale of PUte mutton as New Zealand, Australian as (say) English, Falkland Island as Weleb, Continental as something else, and so on through the whole gamut of possible substitutions of one variety for another. Butcher?, be it understood, do not conSne their tricks to the small compass of selling New Zealand for Scotch, or River Plate for New Zealand mutton. And if laws and regulations are made for the sale cf mutton, they must necessarily be applied to the sale of beef, pork, veal, etc. As hinted, it would be useless to make laws for the branding of carcasses, for the butchers would still carry oa their tticks, aud it is beyond the pale of practical legislation to force them to ticket and label every joint they display for sale with the country of its origin. I venture to say that a Bill brought into Parliament wi-h this object would never g t beyond the first reading. Even if suoh a Bill were paßsed its enforcement would be a matter of great difficulty and huge cost. The farthest, I am inclined to think, our present Government (or any other) would go would be to insist upon distinction being made between home-grown and imported meat. This much would be don?, not for the benefit of consumers, but for the sake of the farmers' votes. The probability is that tbe end to the present newspaper agitation will arrive in the shape of an enactment that all butchers— or distributors, whichever you like to call them — dealing in imported meats will be called upon to apprise the public of the fact per signboard. What the scope of Lord Ons'ow'd promised Bill on the subject is I do not know, bat I believe he framed it with the idea of benefiting New Zealand produce by forcing dealers in Argentine mutton to refrain from calling it New Zealand. Personally, I aiq very doobtfol of tbe

harm to New Zealandera arising from tbia praotice. I believe the substitution to be carried on to a very limited extent. More* over, though New Zealand mutton is sometimes palmed off as Scotch, and Argentine as New Zealand, and some of both kinds — not an inconsiderable quantity by any means— for what it actually is, yet the great bulk of it is sold simply as mutton, without aay diatincj tive prefix whatever. To call it " frozen mutton " even would be to wilfully prejudice it in the eyes of many ignorant people. The prejudice against frozen mutton is gradually dying, but judging simply from the opinions of various people in my own limited circle of acquaintances there must still remain a very great number of folks who retain the foolish notion that mutton f roz3n ia mutton spoilt, perhaps on no better authority than that their fathers said so. If .New Zealandera are of opinion that their interests would be best served if their mutton was sold for what it is, they had better not trust to English legislation to bring about great radical changes in the conduct of the meat trade in London and the provinces. If you are anxious to sell your meat as New Zealand you had better set about increasing the number of depots for the sale of it ia England. Producara should lay their heads together, form a company, and run the business of distributors themselves. Of course a very large capital would be neded, and the risks would be great, but good quality combined with low prices would pay in the end. Meantime endeavors should be made to raise the standard of quality. Much of the mutton you send us is as good as can be produced anywhere, but large quantities of very inferior mutton come by every boat. It will pay you to send the middlemen the very beat mutton you can raise, for if they can sell it as " prime Scotch," and at the price of that article, it is qaite certain they will increase their demand for it, and consequently cause a rise in its value. The first thing to do is to eliminate as far as possible the merino strain in your flocks. If merino blood is in a sheep its carcass when out is of a dark red t ; nt, aud for this reason Canterbury mutton, with its bright red appearance, ia much more in favor with buyers than the merino- tainted mutton of the North Island. 11 Looks " go a long way with most people, HOTTER AND CHEESE. The weatb.tr has been all against the butter market daring the past fortnight. The froaty and favorable spell broke up on the Bth, and since then till Friday we have experienced alternations of rain and fog. Prices have declined all round, Danish butter being quoted at from 122 ito 126 a. This time last year 142s was being paid. Australian and New Zealand creamery butter is hard to sell at 100 a to 116<j whilst other nukes are quoted at 80s to 90s. Large arrivals have naturally had a depressing effect on the market, but buyers are rendered more difficult to deal with on accountof the cable reports from Melbourne concerning the heavy quantities en route and to be despatched. Agents deprecate this cabling of quantities to the Ebme Press, but I suppose it cannot be helped or prevented. Victorians are very proud of their butter export, and take every opportunity to apprise the London papers of the immense quantity they are sending Home. Buyers, knowing all about the quantities forthcoming, naturally look forward to a farther drop in the prioe of colonial produce, and do not, therefore, buy freely at present ratea.

New Zealand arrivals continue to oorae to hand id good condition, but no improvement is shown in the average of quality. Means should be taken to eliminate from the exports all the stuff known as " farmers' " butter, the presence of wnich oa the market tends to drag down the price of the better qualities. The Government might, I think, render the industry great service by copying the methois of Victoria in one or two particulars — as, for instance, free carriage of cream per railway. If this was done creamery owners would greatly extend their operations, with good results to the industry and the colony. Next mail I Bhall have more to say on this subject. The arrivals of cheese, per Ruapehu and Rangatira are satisfactory both as regards condition and quality. The market is in a better condition than was expected in the early part of the season. Best New Zealand fetches from 54s to 563, and secondary 483 to 50j. lam glad to note that my hint re "hooping" the packages has been taken cote of. la conclusion, allow me to give another. Don't use quite so much ink on your butter boxes. It is quite unnecessary to pi ice brands and marks on five aides of a square box, and the practice gives a dirty appearance to packages. The mania for " branding " appears to be very prevalent in the colony.