BLUFF OYSTERS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20489, 7 March 1932, Page 10

BLUFF OYSTERS.

CHRISTCHURCH COM' PLAINTS. : c \\V\ ; reply of southern -J----'MERCHANTS.; ■' A definite and categorical reply fartfo. recent complaints made by Clrngtelfffc- <.. fish merchants concerning the of Bluff oysters on their afrivalJj, • Christchurch was made last "News" reporter by a Bluff merchant of thirty years' "The very people who are comf>Tihs|jff... get the freshest oysters in New. land," said the Bluff merchant "News " reporter. "It frequently SfcjjT * pens on a Sunday that the not hove up until about three oNsloei&tf, the afternoon,. By five o'clofek;il^ey , are in Bluff, by six o'clock in Invetcirj. ■gill, and, having been hitched on to fltg"-."' night express, they are in ChristehMih before eight o'clock the next On other days of the week the deliye'iyj while perhaps not so promptj is jtill very expeditious. We" are very \re]i . treated by the Railway Department and the delivery by train is, on-fhe'' average, as good, or better, than.tfc« delivery by lorry. . First let:me'.j»y that it is almost impossible'that the ■ oysters can be bad when theyariiTe ; \ in Christchurch. This is proved i.aet that the delivery is one erf the' quickest in the Dominion, and that ia V ' - Auckland and Wellington oyster® sept at the same time proved thoroughly satisfactory. They are delivered ia! Auckland 48 hours later and in Welling, ton either 12 or 24 hours later as the case may be; yet here is a telegram which I received from an Auckland firm r ' : just about the time these complaints were made in Christchurch: 'Oyster de- " mand improving every day. Five extra, sacks to-morrow. Another wire from Auckland about this time stated: "'Oy-f/ sters arrived in good condition, Bend ' five sacks to-day instead of two.' A letter from Wellington concerning t consignment of oysters from Bliiff abwt W' ! this time stated also: 'The oysters 8K it rived in excellent condition.' Dnnedia ' consignments have also proved satisfactory; so how is it possible that Christchurch oysters—taken from the "t beds under the same conditions and transported more quickly—could bad? I have been informed that l in' Auckland the fishmongers would take * 400 sacks if they could get them noie,; quickly, and we have made the 'neceg- - sary arrangements with the Hailway." 1 * Department for transport. This fa \ surely a guarantee that our-oysters ijfe /' good and our methods right." Sal( The merchant added that theoystewthemselves were as good as ever thefr'V' had been. There was nothing is fje. suggestion that shifted beds Bad fit fected the quality. He did "not, hr said, consider that the season'opemiw V' too early. Tears ago it had leeg" usual for the season to Open-in* ruary, but as the result. of repteseatalions'by the Bluff merchants it hid"' v been put back to March, largely-on « count of the fact that difficulty!^.:j.i been' experienced with hot weather a&i poor transport facilities.; not on account of the quality of die oyster. These difficulties had ndwlMev'' overcome, and the opening in Febrwy Vi-.' was now the best system from .aIT '' - points of view. CEREAL CBOPS.% THE . .STATISTICIANS " ESTIMATE. M The following estimated average acre of wheat" oats, and barley for the gnujlM"' 1931-32 have been compiled from famished by Stook liuppctors 'Of' the* ment of Agriculture .throiufbouk tin ion; 'and are published "Jn" the ,Np|H Abstract "of Statistics: — • V-r 1 1

: 1 *• METHVEN STOCK SALE * . - The fortnightly stock \sale *u hUtt"* ! the Methvea Saleyards Thursday, ' only a. moderate yarding of fats wu wwp.v ! Top price for lambs was 15s od, ifci* WW \'__ for a pen or three, another pea ttT&R—+ bringing 15s Id. Freezing buyer* w *™ < W£, ating up to 'full schedule price*. IB [ store pens the yarding compri»ed awBoA. store lambs. Several small station 1 Jots wriJ penned, and these showed good sale throughout was a buoyant ones Sales recorded are as follows: , "!!%*• Fat Sheep—Twentyrfive fat ewel-at - ! 4 fat'lambs at 15s Id, 128 fat l»mb«**»/; ' 32s lOd, 56 fat lambs at 18s lOd.-M at »\ 7d, 3 at 15s 9d. . \ i " l Store Sheep—One hundred *nd < 6**-® l,^' !t tooth halfbred ewes at 15s, 103 vnitwMjf rape lambs 10s lOd, 166 mixed me cuarterl>red lambs 8s lOd, 119 three-flow®"., , bied ewe lambs (extra good) !2s Id, 170 mW" ,j, qvarterbred wether lambs 10s 6d, I quarterbred lape lambs 12a Id, 61rniX(d 1 lumbs lis 4d, .167 mixed sex rape 1«®»*5~ Id, 492 mixed sex three-quarterbitd MMS j • 9s, 119 mixed sex lambs 5s lOd, I® W?®: >■ ' , sex three-quarterbred lambs Gs Id; 13T»y; lambs 6s Id, 131 mixed sex l' bred lambs 9s 7d. Cattle—One dairy cow (second 'i 2 springing- cow JB4 10s. _ ' Pigs—Ten weaners from'6s to 8», > .; a from 26s .to 295, 1 weaner ] st,2 al IWi >. at 14s, 9 at 10s, 2 at Bs, 1 at ll*. s s lis, 6d, 3 at 19s,r 3 stores at 30s- • ~

'"Wheat. Oats. "lUriwijv,-'' Bushels. > BoidiMvSBNwwt i North Island 28.23 83.49 • Nelson 19.04 21.08 ■ .lfcM.;<r : Marlborough 28.18 30.73 28 W Canterbury 23.76 26.25 '3T.W ■' Otago' 25.60 3».9fl .99Jr,\. Southland 36.70 • 44 36 Average (esti- - ; " mated) for the Dominion, -season 1031-32 .. 24.44 ' 82.56 Average (actual) ;<^ t| for the Dominion, season 1930-31 30.44 38.74 - ;,>*• .