Cheese.

For the guidance of shippers we send the [unclear: following] marks upon the above articles written from a London and point.

Past Shipments from Your Colony.—These [unclear: have] received too irregularly to admit of a steady made being established in New Zealand produce, [unclear: such] is done in Canadian. United States, Dutch, &c. The f[unclear: hality] and condition have also been very irregular it the goneml impression left on the minds of experts here is to the effect that the great majority of the shipments received comprised cheese of originally excellent flavour and consistency, and had they been shipped under different circumstances as to temperature in ships' hold they would have found a ready market amongst the highest qualities generally available in this market. Quite recently a few cases, shipped at lnvercargill, which happened to be stowed in a particularly favourable position in the hold of the "Tainui," viz,—in close proximity to the freezing chamber,—reached London in perfectly good condition, and the opinion above quoted found verification in the fact that for these cases 60s per cwt, the top price for prime American cheese, was easily secured. It is page 6 manifest then that for quality and method of preparation your colony can compete with America or Canada. The great drawback to the successful sale of your produce in this market is its unsatisfactory condition on arrival. This has not yet been proved to be an insuperable difficulty, but for some reason with which we are not acquainted, shippers have continued to ignore the instructions, which we have so frequently sent, that they should avoid shipping cheese as general cargo, and should insist upon having cool space provided for the transport of their produce. On this side, when we have approached the shipping companies with a view to getting them to provide cool chambers for butter and cheese, we have always been met with a request for information as to the quantity likely to be shipped. To this we have been quite unable to give any satisfactory reply, the irregularity with which shipments have come forward from year to year rendering any estimate unreliable. The matter must be taken up on your side, and already we understand that some negotiations are now in progress, if not already carried into effect, with the New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited) in this connection. But it should be taken up by all the shipping ports in order to command the attention of the steam ship companies.

Charges in London amount to a small fraction over ¼d per lb, to which must be added freight and primage, as may be arranged on your side.

Market prospects are at the present moment perhaps somewhat more promising than usual, owing to the prospective temporary shortness of the Home supply. The general quality of English produce has fallen off very much during late years, owing to the increased rise of "skim" milk by manufacturers. What America can send we have no means of estimating, as we only receive from that quarter whatever may not be required for local consumption. For the same reason we do not receive the pick of the American manufactures. Prices are very irregular throughout the year, the range for the past 12 months for American being from 28s to 65s per cwt. This, however, arises largely from the great differences in quality sent to this market at different seasons of the year. There is always a good demand for sound, well-made cheese, and it seems not improbable that on average, about 45s. to 50s. per cwt, according to quality, might be readily secured throughout the year for [unclear: New] produce of that description. During the [unclear: late] and winter months (say September to [unclear: Mar] siderably higher levels could doubtless [unclear: be] and so far as practicable an effort should [unclear: be] place colonial shipments on the London market that period of the year.

A Standard of Quality.—The desirability [unclear: of] before you exactly that style of cheese which best suit the wants of our market suggests [unclear: to] we should name some particular colonial [unclear: br] are fortunately in a position to do [unclear: so] "Tainui" we received last month a [unclear: con] from the Gore Dairy Factory Co., of [unclear: Inv] which was, perhaps, as nearly as possib-[unclear: pe] point of size, colour, shape, flavour, at time [unclear: ment]. We assume that to have been the cast, seven eases which were packed close to the [unclear: ref] chamber happened to come to hand in good [unclear: com] that is to say, unaffected by the heat of [unclear: the] hold, and these seven cases were a practically sample of what New Zealand cheese ought [unclear: to] is the parcel previously alluded to.

Butter.

The following remarks are for the guide shippers generally.

Prices: As regards the trade in casks or kegs, values actuate considerably as between summer and winter, and at certain periods (say May to August inclusive) [unclear: e] liable to severe depressions, in which all qualities [unclear: ffer] more or less. In the absence of supplies of colonial butter in good condition it is difficult to [unclear: timate] its probable value if sound, but possibly it [unclear: auld] take rank with Danish produce, if landed [unclear: here] a condition similar to that in which it was shipped, [unclear: uotations] for prime Danish butter in recent years [unclear: ave] ranged between 110s. and 130s. per cwt. during [unclear: ptembmer] to March, and between 70s. and 90s. per ewt. during May to August.

Charges in London would amount to about ½d [unclear: per] up to ½d per lb., according to price

Experiments: In conducting these, we must ask [unclear: ippers] to be most careful to see that their [unclear: intentions] to shipment are precisety carried into effect, as it [unclear: as] frequently happened in our experience that experimental shipments have failed entirely in their object owing to those in charge of steamers [unclear: neglecting] carry out the wishes of shippers. Please take [unclear: special] of this point in dealing with butter, cheese, &c. [unclear: uther], it is desirable that the various kinds of produce shipped, and the varying conditions under which they are shipped, be clearly set forth by special marks on each package, and also that we receive full advice thereof. We should also be advised of the various rates of freight (if paid in the colony) and the [unclear: lative] cost of the several descriptions, in order to [unclear: rive] at a reliable opinion as to their suitability for [unclear: e] Home market.

Pickled or Salted Beef.

The foregoing precautions must be taken, [unclear: otherwise] meat will probably arrive here dark and devoured, poor in flavour, and possibly tainted, [unclear: instead] being bright and ruddy with clear pickle. In addition it should be pointed out that it is most desirable that the meat be cured in a low temperature, and that if saltpetre be used in the process of curing, it should be applied only by a skilled hand, as an over dose or an ill-timed application may be prejudicial rather than beneficial to the subsequent condition of the meat. The great end to be arrived at is to lay the meat down here in a condition as nearly as possible approximating its character when freshly killed. Highly-coloured fiery shipments are of as undesirable a type as are those of an opposite type.

Supplies must arrive at regular intervals throughout the year.

Prices are at present somewhat depressed, American "extra Indian mess" being quoted at 75s to 80s per tierce of 304lb net. New Zealand produce in sound condition and of "regulation quality" would not realise more than, say, 70s per tierce, owing to its being a new article; but in course of time that friction in price would doubtless disappear.

Charges in London, say, ¼d per lb.

Pickled Pork.

Prices: At present these are unusually high. There is no American here. Danish is quoted at 75s per tierce of 200lb net. That quotation will not in all probability, be maintained, and must not in any way be accepted as an indication of the probable value of New Zealand produce. We cannot even estimate that until we have seen a shipment from your colony landed in satisfactory order. Not more than 10 tierces should form the experimental consignment.

Charges.

P.S.—Referring to the paragraphs in foregoing re cheese and butter, we have to report that in view of the possible development of a considerable trade in these products we have made special arrangements with our wharfingers whereby their charges for landing, warehousing, and delivering operations will in future be materially reduced.

To the above I think it desirable to add the following remarks:—