DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 266, 10 November 1939, Page 3

DAIRY INDUSTRY.

. HISTORY RECALLED. "HOME SEPARATION" MOVE. r ORIGIN OF DEVELOPMENT. r The fact that there were a number '• of cheese and butter factories in existP enee in New Zealand prior to 1887 i-s '' pointed out in a letter received from Mr. George Finn in reference to an s article on the history of the industry - which appeared in the "Star's" Centenf nial Supplement of October 31. s "I would not like to diminish in any way the credit due to Mr. Chew Chong e —a man I knew very well and highly 11 esteemecl." Mr. Finn states, in pointing ® out the fact that Mr. Chong was not the founder of the dairy industry as it 1 exists to-day. 0 Mr. Chong's butter factory was estab- . lished on the whole milk principle, _ which has been out of date for a num- . ber of years, Mr. Finn adds. That system necessitated carting the whole j milk to the factory and there separate ing. while the skim milk was carted e back to the farm. r The whole of the butter exported f from New Zealand to-day is produced - on the home separation principle. This system, which was responsible for the wonderful development of dairying in New Zealand, was originated by the writer himself in 1897. In enclosing newspaper cuttings in connection with the matter Mr. Finn states that the system was strongly opposed by the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture. It was even threatened that legislation would be introduced to prevent the export of this butter. This movement, however, was dropjied when Mr. Finn's firm took the first prize at an A. and P. show in Wellington in the butter for export class in competition with the leading factories manufacturing on the whole milk principle. "The opposition on the part of the Dairy Division put my firm to a considerable expense, and it was responsible for retarding the system for a number of years," Mr. Finn adds. "Some six years later the system was taken up by other factories, and eventually spread throughout the Dominion." Mr. Finn also remarks that he advocated herd testing for a number of years before receiving anv support. It J was . not until 1909 that' herd testing e received the endorsement of the Dairy I- Division.