NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9739, 29 May 1897, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE.

INTERVIEW WITH A GLASGOW MKRCHANT.

(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)

Mr Andrew Clement, of the firm of Andrew Clement and Son, dairy produce merchants of Glasgow, London and Manchester, is now on a visit to this colony in company with Mr J. B. MacEwau, late dairy expert to the New Zealand Government. Mr Clement has been through the Australian colonies to'make arrangements on behalf of his firm for consignments of dairy produce, and has completed a satisfactory connection. His visit to this colony is for a similar purpose, and to our representative he gave some of his views upon the New Zealand dairy produce trade.

- Mr Clement said that colonial dairy produce was makiug good headway in the Glasgow market. .New Zealand butter was not quite so regular in quality as Victorian, and andther drawback was the irregularity of supplies; for whereas the Australian mail boats arrived weekly, sometimes there were four weeks between the arrival of shipments from New Zealand. That of course hampered the trade, and re«ilted now and then in the missing of a rise in the market. With regard to the future prospects of the market, Mr Clement does not think that next season will be as good as the one just over. When the market reached a high level it restricted consumption and stimulated production, and oo that account, therefore, he looks for easier values next season. Mr Clement considers it would be to the advantage of this Colony if it adopted the same method of conducting the export trade in dairy produce as that now in vogue ia all other countries, aud consign instead of selling the season's output to speculators. There was not the same encouragement to persevere in manufacturing the best article if the produce had beeu sold beforehand, as there would be if each shipment Home had to stand upon its own merits in the market. At one time, When the risk was greater, it was probably the best plan to sell the output at the opening of the season, but now that the trade had become established he considers that taking one season with another the most profitable method was to consign to respectable firms who are fully acquainted with the requirements of the trade. Uniformity of-quality was absolutely essential, for a customer might purchase some butter or cheese* of a particular brand and be thoroughly satisfied with it. He would naturally ask for more of the same kind, but if the second lot were of inferior quality be would refuse to have anymore to do with fckt Wand. Some of the Ngu> Imlmi butter as it arrived in the Home market was equal to the best Danish, but it waa the uniformity in quality of the latter whioh enabled it to command the market. '* If you could give us," said Mr Clement, " such butter as is exhibited in your Winter Show, Danish would have to take a back seat." With regard to the packing Of butter Mr Clement speaks sti-ongly in favour of the cube as against the oblong shaped box. The bulk of the butter now came on the market in square boxes, and the butter when opened up would stand on the counter on the round dishes formerly used for keg butter. On the other hand, the butter when turned out of an oblong box, did not look well when stood on end, , and was too long to lay on the dish the other way. He was favourably impressed with a butter box now made in Victoria, which was concaved at. the. side and ends to allow of | Ventilation, and the timber being dressed in that way rendered the box so much lighter. Asked his opinion of the cube-shaped j cheese which have been manufactured and sent Home to test the market, I Mr Clement said he did not think they would suit, as there would be a difficulty in disposing of those pieces which contained the most rind. In a circular cheesethe rind was equally divided among those who purchased cuts, whereas in a cube-shaped cheese there would be cuts which had move rind than others, and customers would always want the best pieces. Mr MacEwan.explained, that the oblong box was adopted as a sort of distinctive brand.for New Zealand, but he was now inclined to the belief that it would be advisable ,to use the- cube shaped box so that the butter in respect to packing would be placed On the same footing as that of other countries, j He strongly advocated the pasteurisation. of all cream, so as to make the flavour aud ! quality of butter as uniform as possible \ throughout the colony. He admitted that the creamery system wa3 somewhat of a difficulty, as the cream was sometimes in a ripened condition when it reached the factory. It must be. pasteurised before being ripened, and if the cream reached the factory not later than noon each day that could j be managed.