REMARKS TO DAIRYMEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 20, 18 October 1907, Page 5

REMARKS TO DAIRYMEN.

DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT. DIJTTEU AND CHEESE. "That there is urgent need for a cleaner' and purer milk supply at- a great many of the chocse'and butter factories is freely admitted' by all whose, cliities bring them into close' touch with the-dairy industry."- This almost hackneyed cry-again issues from the Agricultural Department' (Dairy Division) in the Annual Report,' Very little progress,- continues the report, has been made towards improving the condition of the mill;, even in the larger dairying districts. The dairymen who. were careless or neglcctful in the handling of the milk oil their farms, appeared to«be-quite oblivious to their responsibilities in this connection. The efforts of those who took care were to some extent nullified by the way in which others treated the milk under their control, as the milk had to be. mixed at the creameries or factories. Great improvement could be obtained by using more care in tho handling of milk and by reducing its teniperatnro as much as possible immediately after it was' drawn from tho cows. If the suppliers would only cool the night's milk to as low a temperature as-possible, and keep it in clean utensils, better butter and cneese would be the result, and a larger quantity for sale at higher prices.. ... . During ; tho season, continues tho report, GOOOIb. to 70001b. of milk was rejected and returned in a single day to suppliers at a single factory. At one factory 15,0001b5. was rejected in three • consecutivo days, Thousands of pounds sterling were'heiilg annually lost to the" producers owing to the rejection of milk hlone. At.a very large.majority of the farms a plentiful of water was available, or procurable , at a- moderate' cost, but' it- wasseldom used- forcooling milk,- notwithstandingthe enormous'advantage to'DO' derived.iStateiri'ents froin daily instructors throughout fchV Dominion are quoted in regard to this matter. Tho'Babcock tester, continues tho report; is' liow in use at-practically every dairy farm ifi the' Dominion; ,'and suppliers are paid : for tho a'motlnt- of.butter-fat Considerable 'space'is doy'oted to impressing : upon 'dairy managers and suppliers tho advantages of individual 1

As to milking by machinery,;"■tho report states that it would seem tho timers not faidistant' wheii'thia system will be in vogue' in overy dairying'district in-tne Dominion. ■ . The arrangements under which butter aiid cheese, are shjpp.eil are now s on- a satisfactory ■ basis, speaking .generally... .The -freezing ofthe 'butter,-.- is) admirable. ■ All the coastal steamers \ at" present dairy produce, to Wellington' for. transhipment .ire fitted with refrigerators; which .are kept gaiiig during transit" to prevent the'-butter arriving; ina defrosted,.condition. . Delays, in-.tranship-ment rarely,-occur.; 1': _■' '-7 ;"I The number of skimming stations in "connection .with; creameries.'and • factories registered on /March 31, 1907, was 494. ■ - ' In table" showing'the differences in 'prices 'obtained fen Danish and New Zealand butter/; it*, is again'•liointed ; out-that tho disparity'is', ;to ! a' certain''extent diio to the proximity, of: Denmark' to tho lnaikots. As ito',cheese;' taking' the'twelve irioi\ths;'it wouldbe seen >that\the,'"price realised 'for tho New. Zealand 'article- had •.been higher : than, that obtained for Canadian. - ' "" ■ ;

. A SUCCESSFUL SEASON. As to the ; season which oWed-oh Marcll 31 last, so-far as the North Island was concerned; it was oiio' of the most ? successful > since, the inception of tho" industry. . ; The ; rainfall throughout tho ' summer was " sufficient/ to maintain a plentiful supply of grass, which resulted in : tho dolivery of.moro'inilk to'the but- ' tor. and cheese factories. In : the South Island the weather conditions were not so favourable.' ■ ' - , . . At tho opening'of'the .season; higher ' priccs 'were paid' for the.'output of hitter and clieese than cvor before.'v As usual'the majority of dairy companies decided to sell' their make of , butter, from September to the end ,of March;' instead of consigning -their produco to; the.'Homc markets for disposal by their agents at tho ruling market rates. -There was keen competition amongst the buyers in this country, but the prices realised by the purchasers of ii portion' 1 of tho butter had' been much lower than was expected, and tho losses made in this connection; will,, the rcf port stated, no doubt influence, forward sales at, the ..opening;. of;,the-.■next butter season.',-,. • Owing, to , the lowor priccs now ruling, oil the British..markets," largo '.quantities' were being held infthe Dominion,'and as the local, markets could not.absorb,any,larger quantity than usual,, it would bo necessary to ..ship, some of this produce: Home.. . This was.,to bo regretted, as past experience had shown that tho placing; of stored butter on the market, had a tendency. to, reduce prices and to maintain lower values for a considerable time. ~. .'. '. ; /.. ~. ' . The most noticeable feature in connection' with the year's" business was the remarkable increase in tho'production of cheese. Ninetoon new cheese factories were started during: the year, and: some of...the; dairy companies and factory, proprietors who were formerly making butter turned their attention to the. manufacture of chcese.. This movement was 'mainly brought about bj tho,high price ruling, which enabled the.p#lucer to obtain from 2d: to 3d. per lb. more for butter-fat,in the milk for cheese-making than that for ■butter-making. . At present there was a great deal of jiiirest'- nmongst the .milk.suppliers : at' ;a number of the buttor factories, _ and pressure was being brought on the directors to ciiange from butter-making to cheese-making. Somo had already .decided on this course, so the production' of cheese was-likely to show even-a greater increase next year.