The Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY. APRIL 13, 1891. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPORTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume X, Issue 2352, 13 April 1891, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY. APRIL 13, 1891. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPORTS.

Mr G. G. Stead's London correspondent, m his remarks on the various qualities of mutton which are being shipped home, and the necessity ol having them properly classified and sold according to grade, is right m his conclusions but somewhat at sea as to his premises. He says that much of the mutton recently sent Home contains too great a strain of the merino, and that what is wanted for the London market is the half-bred, that is a cross between some long-woolled breed and the merino. As a matter of fact the uumber of crossbred sheep m the country containing more than onehalf merino blood is quite insignificant, and it is clear that the dark coloured mutton to which the correspondent refers is pure merino, of which a considerable quantity, of the very best quality, is regularly shipped. No better mutton than that of these prime merino wethers could be wished for, but its dark colour is not yet understood by the English, consumer. The system of selling it consequently has been to work it off with the better coloured meat at an all-round price, and it is easy to see that under such a system the shipper of the more favored kinds, such as Southdowns, has to suffer for the ! benefit of the shipper of merino. It is quite evident that to secure to each shipper the just value of his shipment not only should the carcases be classified into descriptions and weights, but each shipper's consignment should bear his own brand and be sold by itself. English buyers would soon learn the peculiarities of the various brands, and instead of an average quotation being paid all round for prime, good and indifferent quality—none is bad—each lot would be sold on its merits, and the colonial farmer would ba encouraged to keep his flock up to the best standard. There would also be an incentive to keep the quality up to the mark m the fact of the freezing and shipping charges being the same on all qualities, and the returns for low-priced mutton would a* a rule be so small that its.shipment would be unprofitable. The system of classification is also called for m the butter and cheese trades, but the trade m dairy produce is mainly m the hands of capable tradesmen, whose brands are already known m the London market, and are a guarantee that the quality which they indicate is all that it is represented to be. Nothing more is required with regard to mutton, and our freezing works' managers are quite competent to carry it out without the Government being called upon to do so.