Report of the Dairy Expert. 231 



here again, the careful preparation and grading of the goods for 

 market is absolutely essential. Unfortunately, much of our exported 

 poiiltry is not graded. A¥hen laxity is permitted in regard to age 

 and quality, orders are bound to be discontinued, and the only way to 

 get on a solid basis is by establishing supervision and grading. 



We have not as yet found it necessary to export eggs in quantity, 

 because production has not much more than equalled the requii-ements 

 of our own population. However, when the stage of exportation is 

 reached, our past experience will stand us in good stead. The great 

 success which has attended our past few years' storing experience in 

 securing for consumers fresh eggs in abundance the year round, and 

 to the producer much higher prices, shows that it is only a matter of 

 a short time now when the possibilities and bounds of this feature of 

 the trade will be reached. When that is so, we must export all the 

 surplus to outside markets. The Department has demonstrated that 

 deterioration may be completely arrested for an indefinite period by 

 means of cold storage, so that there can be no danger of glutting the 

 market by over production. 



Rabbits. 



it will probably surprise many to know that the weight of the 

 six millions and odd frozen rabbits exported last year was equal to 

 that of 300,000 carcases of mutton of average size. The rabbits exist 

 here, and their recognition as a factor in the export trade, while con- 

 ducing to their eradication, provides employment for thousands of 

 trappers and others, and helps to gratify the palates of those at home 

 who are only too willing to pay high prices for them. The soundness 

 of this trade is in a large measure due to our system of grading. All 

 rabbits exported from this State are classified under Government 

 supervision, and each and every rabbit is carefully handled by an ex- 

 perienced Government grader, and sorted into one of the half dozen 

 classes adopted. They are put up as "large" weighing 2^ lbs. and 

 over, "young" 2 lbs. and over, and "small" 1^ lbs. and over This 

 comprises the best grades, and all Ijrands on the packages are black 

 in colour. In addition, a second grade is employed with the folio wing- 

 designations, "size 1," "size 2," "size 3," weighing respectively over 

 60 lbs,, 48 lbs., and 36 lbs. net, per crate. The second grade brands 

 are all red in colour. Rabbits unsuitable for export are rejected, and, 

 if unfit for human consum])tion, condemned, phenyled, and sent to the 

 desiccators to be manufactured into manure. Here we have a striking 

 illustration of the value of grading, under which our rabbits realise 

 2s. per crate more than those shipped from New Zealand. The system 

 has secured the confidence of buyers abroad. New Zealand rabbits 

 are much better conditioned and furred, but owing to the absence of 

 grading and Government supervision bring less than ours in the English 

 market. We have in operation, in connection with rabbits, a complete 

 organisation for coping with one hundred times the work that would be 

 necessary in regard to butter, for the reason that fully 8,000,000 

 rabbits have to be handled iuciividnallv. whilst with 10,000 tons of 



