DAIRYING PROSPECTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 269, 10 November 1923, Page 6

DAIRYING PROSPECTS.

NORTH ISLAND FARMS. AH EXPERT* OKHtOH. INCREASE INJBEE SE j^ (By Tel eS raph.- Speclai t _ , lg - . WA * G AKUI,t«i»' 4 _ T airy season in this dist t hroughout the North Wand JfcL„ Wl . the loea, «"]»l y he sstd, fe* t was somewhat, backward W arher part of the season it h,A • reased rapidly and-that ' now «*J* o hand showed an increase orrespouding months of last v»V, -ream in large quantities was „ o __ oming ln , and with anything like fafe urable weather there was every ores? «et of a good supply being *&&£ hroughout the season. v So far as prices were concerned, it L, .nticipaXed that prices for butter woulrt je about 1/5 or 1/6 per ft. A « cal would depend upon what quantity America would buy between November md April inclusive. At present tfiere cere several inquiries from American narkets. but so far no sales had taken •lace. Inquiries had been made in this li9trict alone for up to 10.000 boxes in mc lot, although, it did not directly iffect this district. Mr. Rummerstrum mentioned it was >f interest to know that trade to Honoulu, Fiji, Java and Japan was steadily growing, ajid increased orders were >eing received each succeeding month or butter. The great handicap to this lass of export business was lack of a lirect line of steamers, for all consignnents had to be sent across to either llelbourne or Sydney for transhipment. Another drawback was the absence,of •00l storage facilities in Java anil la-pan. Mr. Rummerstrum, who has :ust returned from a trip round the Auckland Province, remarked that the ,-ountry is looking remarkably welL Phe area under cultivation seemed to ie increasing each season. Land value* n the province had; undoubtedly grown am high, but there was fairly rapid lettlement between owners and mortgagees with regard to reductions, and in i year or two land values should be >n a very payable basis for the occupier. Cheese making on the whole had inireased rapidly, and had tended to firm jp butter values and both, no doubt. :ome very close to one another. So far ns actual butterfat values were con ; ;eraed herd testing was increasing rapidly, and farmers were more and more beginning to appreciate its value. Oie grading of cream was in the Audcand Province carried out more strictly than in other places. There were three rrades, superfine, first and second gradee, Mid the factories when receiving the ■ :ream demanded a more uniform test, in average of about forty per cent of fat. 'Under these conditions the Auckland standard of quality of butter ha* been raised considerably during the list season or two. Farmers were getting quite used to these conditions, and second grade quality cream was now being received in very small quantitiee.