THE GOLDEN COW

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 148, 24 June 1915, Page 4

THE GOLDEN COW

REVIEW OF PAST SEASON DAIRY COMMISSIONER LOOKS AHEAD. (PItOSI OUB SPECHL REPORTER.) PALMERSTON X., 23rd June. Mr. D. C'uddie, , Dairy Commissioner, addressed the conference to-day on the future of the New Zealand dairying industry. He first referred to the phenomenal prices received for all produce. - The average was 135s 6d per cwt for butter and, 86s per cwt for cheese. The quality of the produce, speaking generally, was an improvement on that of the previous year, and the average grading had been one point higher all round. There had also been a reduction of 3£ per cent, in the production of second quality cheese. It went without saying that a large quantity of really first-class cheese had been made, which would compare with the best of any other country. Some 36 per cent, of the total output was a first-class .cheese, but it should be the ambition of every factory in New Zealand to turn out only first-class cheese. The less they said about inferior cheese the better; but he was glad to say that the' quantity of it had gone down. Mr. Wright, inspector in London, had made some scathing reports upon such cheese ; but instead of publishing them, the Department pufc itself into direct communication with the factories concerned. | The whole, question of quality mainly revolved upon the quality of the milk. The cheese-maker, of course, must- do his part. There were only two ways of dealing with this matter : (1) By rejecting the milk at the factory and following up this with instruction to suppliers; (2) by paying a low price for low grade milL That was a matter for the factories themselves fto settle. The factory managers, however, had not always set a good example to suppliers. The factories should be thoroughfy clean, neat, arid attractive. The managers should practise what they preached. A NEW ERA. They were at the beginning of a new era in the manufacture of cheese. He referred to the pasteurisation of milk for cheese making. They should be very careful in connection with # this. It was most desirable to adopt th"c practice, but experience was required in its employment. So long as particular care was taken to see that everything connected with it was perfectly carried out, he believed that cheese-makers would derive considerable benefit from pasteurisation. PACKING PROBLEMS. Mr, Cuddie then referred in detail to suggested improvements in paoking the cheese. Considerable progress had, he was pleased to say, been made already in this direction. Much improvement, too, had been effected in the quality of the cheese through the adoption of cool storage. He was in hopes now that something would be done in the near future with regard to the establishment of a cool store for cheese in Wellington. WHEY BUTTER. Whey butter had been exported as jactory butter, but it should be branded as whey butter in order to conserve the high reputation of creamery butter in the Roma markets. Notwithstanding the increase of cheese manufacture, the manufacture of butter was also increasing. He did notthink* that butter would be a diminishing quantity. The quality of the butter last season was generally excellent, and with respect to some of the leading brands he would say that no better butter had ever left New Zealand. Almost half the total output could be classed at 92 points and over. He believed that there was now scarcely a factory in New Zealand where home separated cream was not taken/ The difficulty was the keeping of tho cream on the farms ; but with care in keeping and in manufacture of the butter really excellent results had been obtained. Grading cream , had given very satisfactory results. As a general rule* the body and texture of New Zealand butter was good, but there was a tendency in some quarters to overwork the butter in order to get the best overrun. -This was prejudicial to the quality when it reached the English market. WATER-LOGGED BUTTER. There had been over-moisture in the butter resulting in the prosecution of some retailers in "England. In future the Department would have to adopt very ■ strong measures to prevent that kind of thing. Mr. Cuddie was cordially thanked for his address.