Frozen Poultry in South Africa. 169 



arraugements for grading-, inspectiou, and packing, Victoria should 

 not only maintain but improve her position against all com))etitors. 

 That this has not been done can hardly be explained by the drouglit, 

 which seems to be seized upon as sufficient pistiticatiou for all the ills 

 and defects of all our products. 



Big as this trade is at present, it possesses a potentiality tliat 

 warrants the breeders for export in enlarging the scope of their opera- 

 tions, and should induce shippers to bestow every care, thought, and 

 attention upon the condition of the birds and method of killing, pre- 

 paring, packing, &c., so that they may open in the most satisfactory 

 manner possible. That this has not always been the case in the past, 

 I have had numerous instances to prove during the course of my 

 enquiries. 



Many good shipments have, of course, been received with which 

 no fault could be found. ( )f these we hear very little. They are 

 taken as a matter of course, and from the buyer's point of view it is 

 not policy to be complimentary about a purchase, even if he fefls it 

 is deserved. It is about the bad stuff of which, unfortunately, there 

 have been instances, that we hear most, and it is marvellous how 

 rapidly the knowledge of one inferior consignment spreads, and how 

 it is calculated to create the opinion that the uniformity of quality 

 and condition of Australian ])oultry cannot be relied upon. 



The products of high grade suffer from the defects of the inferior 

 sorts, and so I argue the need of some arrangement for the equalisa- 

 ti(m of the conditions of export, and the issue of a uniform Federal 

 certificate. 



Russian Poultry- 

 Referring to the statistics already given, and noting the big 

 increase in the value of the imports from the United Kingdom, it 

 must be understood, the amounts mentioned do not represent 

 English bred poultry ; it is mostly Russian, shipped by English firms. 



The Russian poultry is unquestionably the most popular in the 

 African market at the present time, and anyone not l)iassed must 

 admit deservedly so. 



The reasons are plain and unmistakable, in the first place it is 

 obvious the birds have been bred and fed specially for export, as they 

 proclaim great equality in size and weight, which average just abou 

 three pounds each. They are mostly small framed birds and at this 

 weight are plump and fleshy. They are also plucked with evident 

 care, all feathers and stubble and every particle of down possible 

 being removed. They are neatly trussed with the lusad and neck 

 wrapped in white paper and tucked under the right wing. 



When killing they make a deep incision in the neck, close to the 

 head, after dislocation of the neck, which promotes thorough bleeding, 

 and 1 think accounts for the clean, white and attractive appearance of 

 the flesh. They have a high reputation for tenderness and flavour 



