ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12442, 3 March 1906, Page 11

ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

"n-FMOXSTRATION OF BUTTER ,Vt " ' GRIADING.

Tho annual conference of the South >t:.Mfl Daiiv A.Viocntion was held at ■ ffitonV*te,d«.v Mr J. A. Kin--111 Chief Dairy Commissioner, and , g%. Cttddie, Dairy Com«iWr arnvrd from Wellington, were P«*ent- «t - the con- - fof«tcc, which was aitendod by a fair , ,0 „w of dclegntes. A number of Sors and managers of butter facM 2«nt through to Lyttelton m th© iSrnin£ in order to witness an exhibifeonS butter grading at tho Lyttelton Board.*, cool stores. Those TSSnt wercr-Meners .J. A. Kinsella, fiCuddie. A. Grant (District Govern* h«nt Gradef).' T. R... Scott (secretary "iStional Pain- Barnett ■.'•SJaJrnian), Miodleton, Whitham, Noiit. Finer, Condon, McGregor, Ander'■Ea' : LW. "Withell. Ellwm, Mulcock. ?«ra Pannct (Central), Watson (Christf- A,itrch Dairy Company), Champion, and '&n (Tsi Tap"). Hurdley, Bowie,, nwm and Jackson (Timaru), J. Rennie ffi»t<m>' McGou-sn (Sefton), Bowers md Armstrong (German Bay), Bray (Br,* Bros., Dunodin), C. Fcrner, and J, Milne. Before the commencement of grading, ji- Kinsella mid that the officers of the Department were thero for the purDoae oftrying to gain information from {jJT butter makers, and to give any information possible to thorn. The brands of the butter to be graded bad jean covered up, but as they were numbered and the numbers recorded, the makers could compare each lot. Those makers who wished to see how their butter compared with that of other factories would be able to see Mr Grant, ' t*w grader, in tho afternoon, and the jitter indicating their brand would bo tokl thetn in confidence. Although the Department's officers received somo JjJhl hits about their grading system, he thought that, m. regarded those Connected with the creamery factories, they had tho Gople with them. In some places, trerer, particularly in Taranaki, they Jsid experienced 6ome trouble in regard to dairy butter. People raid they could got a good price for butter which had b»n put down as second grade. Ho had there a sample of butter which had been fio graded, and anyone present ■might examine it, and.he thought that, after the examination they would agree •with him, that if it fetched a high price, it would be by good luck. Many people said that the officers of his De•partment were Government experts forking for tho Government, but he would say that the Government paid them, but they were working for the people. They wished, therefore, to be in touch with, and have the confidence of, the people they were working for, and they were pleased to meet them at these conferences. Ho wished to have tho goodwill and support of tbo factoiy directors end managers, and though he was somewhat disappointed that these conferences were not getting larger, he felt sure that such gatherings did a Rreat 'deal of good. On behalf of the National Dairy Association and the Department he wished them a very pleasant day and hoped they would all attend the meeting in the evening. The demonstration of grading was thon proceeded with, tho factory managers and directors taking notes of Mr Giant's observations. Tlie boxes of butter were, arranged in lines along the floor of the room, the brands being concealed. .Eight lines of butter from various factories, numbered alphabetically, were-grarVd by Mr Grant, who gave thenf tho'followuig points out of a maximum of 100:—A parcel, 91$; B, 931; C. 93J; D. 931; E, 93; F, 91; G, 80; H, 92. All these wore classed as first grade, with tho exception of G, 86, which ranks as second grade. The eight parcels of butter were fairly even as regards "flavour," with the exception of G parcel, which was given 39. points out of a possible 50, the points jpven to tho other lots being—A, 43J ;B,C, D, and E, 45; F, 43; and H, 44. Under the heading of "Body, moisture, and texture" (maximum 25), the points given were:—B, C, and D, 23J; A, E, F. and H, 23; and G, 22, while all the parcels gained tho maximum points allowed for colour, salting, and finish. Three lots of cheese, marked IA, B, and O, were eroded, all being passed as "first grade." Tho points given were as follows:—A and B. flavour (50) 43J, body and toxtnro (30) 2~i, colour (15) 14*. finish (5) 5, total 901; C, flavour (50) 41*. body nnd texture (30) 27J, colour (15) 14J, finish (5) 5, total 881.