"SLIPPING BACK."

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 18, 22 January 1929, Page 3

"SLIPPING BACK."

WARNING TO DAIRYMEN.

mad scramble fob yield.

USE OF FERTILISERS.

KFFECT OX FLAVOUR AND QUALITY

(By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.")

HAWERA, this day.

A warning that the quality of Xew .''■.•aland butter and cheese was slipping «.vas voiced bv Sir Thomas Clement, of tlie well-known British firm of Andrew Clement and Son, in an address to a large gathering of daily men at Hawer*. After emphasising the growing fault of loss of flavour in both butter and cheese, and touching upon the possible causes and remedies, the > speaker criticised what he termed "the mad scramble for yield," with its deleterious results, and what he considered was the '"old-fashioned" system of grading at present in vogue. Sir Thomas was struck by the enormous increase in dairy produce production in New Zealand since hi* previous visit six years ago. This, he considered, was apparently due to more intensive farming, more extensive u*e of fertilisers, and a better selection and culling of herds, resulting in an increased yield of from 30,000 to 40,000 tons of produce. The increase was very encouraging, and he hoped that the summit of production had not yet been reached. "Although I can congratulate yon on the increase in your business," he continued, "I regret very much that your quality has not improved, but has slipped." It was difficult to place one's linger on the cause, but they could take it from him, as one of the agents, that the quality of Xew Zealand butter and cheese was not as good as it should be. The flavour of New Zealand bntter was much more neutral, and lacked that brightness which made it attractive. To-day New Zealand butter was suffering from a lack of flavour. 4 Cheese flavour was not as obeddary a? it used to be. More flavour was required. A new fault had developed In cheese — that was the cracking of the surface when exposed to the air. The fault was one that could be discovered only whea i a wire cut the cheese, exposing a new surface to the atmosphere. In 24 hours it would be found that the cheese had begun to crack, in some eases so that • pennies could be inserted. If a wedge of cheese were put in the cupboard for a few days it would be found that it had begun to disintegrate. This was a very serious fault in market cheese, and the necessity for some naedy could be easily comprehended. Dealing with probable causes, Sir Thomas explained that, by increasing the use of fertilisers, the character of the pastures and of the milk had been changed—not that he did not advocate the use of fertilisers, as this was becoming more and more necessary. To overcome this difficulty pasteurising had been introduced. He had no objection to the use of fertilisers and to pasteur-

ising when necessary, bat, having got milk of this character, it was necessary to adjust the making. He considered that too little time was taken to-day in "cheddarising" the cheese. A "slow making" cheese was always Vest. A mad scramble for a big yield was another fanlt. There seemed to be intense competition in New Zealand as regards the yield. If factories endeavoured to get extra moisture into the cheese the quality suffered. New Zealand cheese dried up quickly, which suggested an excess of ~ moisture. Sir Thomas emphasised the enormous increase in consumption which would be brought about by an improved quality article, and, vice versa, improved quality gave improved dyund, and improved demand meant improved price. Consider consumers' tastes, he said.