CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 August 1924, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

CHEESE AND BUTTER GRADING

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In your issue of the 23rd iust. appears a letter from “Factory Manager” on the above question, also one trom a Pihama sharemilker in Tues-

day’s issue. Evidently “Factpry Manager” makes a low. grading article tfie way he is boosting same, _and is trying to convince the public that the low grading article avul give a better payout than the best quality, i Avould like to point out that if it • was not for the high grading article that is exported, he Avould find that the loav grading cheese Avould not'bring the prices it does, as it is the higher grades that carry the others on their back, and once this Dominion gets down to the level that “Factory Manager” adA'Oeates, he will find that the high reputation of New Zealand produce, Avhich has taken years to build up. Avill be lost, and ay© avill have to start all o\'er again. Every dairying country in tlie world at the present time is doing its utmost to improve the quality, to enable them to compete successfully with, their rivals on the Home markets. Only recently we read that the Dairy Commissioner fpr Canada. A\;hich country is our biggest cheese rival, reported that they would have to improve their

quality to successfully . compete against the high grading article from this Dominion. Why are Australia, Argentine, and others ahvays loAver in price than us? Because the quality is not there, and in Australia iioav they are going in for stricter grading to make up the leeivay. To make comparisons betAveen factory pay-outs, without giving full particulars, is misleading. “Factory Manager”, quotes a pasteurising factory \ T . non-pasteuris-ing. He doesn’t tell us that one probably sold its output and the other consigned. In perusing most of the balance sheets of dairy companies this year, lie will find that those that Avere lucky to sell came out best, but he will fail to convince any sane reader that this Avas due to a low. grade. The high grading consignment of Kakaramea, Avliich lot consisted of about 25 to 30

cases, in that particular lot, which avus mentioned by the agent Avho handled same and reported on as being too dry, is no criterion that nil high grading cheese is deficient in moisture. One of the highest grading factories in Taraanki this year had the lowest shrinkage in their cheese, which shows that the moisture incorporated was retained by making a good article. If the factory manager got a first class raw "material to AA'ork on, lie AA’ould not require pasteurisers, as faras -contamination- is concerned, but by having pasteurisers it alloAvs the farmers to feed root and other crops, which: in some cases do affect the flavour, and Avhich the pasteuriser will eliminate ,tb a very great extent. , “Sliaremilker’s” letter r© pay-outs is practically answered in my fore-going notes. .He mentions two high grading factories Avliich I have found' out consigned their outputs aiid of course could not come, up to those that sold. To say that high grading cheese is a dry and brittle article, is all bosh. Let “iSharemilker” send some of this class of eheeee to the grading ports, and he will fifid the graders will give him a very poor pointing of same. A (high grading cheese made from pasteurised milk will hold more moisture Avitliout affeet-

ing the quality than one made from an inferior milk. The high quality cheese will retain more moisture, and consequently have a loAA'er shrinkage. Manager” should make it a point to he present at the meeting to be held in Ila-Avera on Monday next, Avhen the Director of the Dairy DiATision Avill be present, and Avill no* doubt be able to ans Aver and deal Avitli any question relating to this subject, Avhich time and space will not alloAv me to touch on. Thanking you, for space, — I am, etc., CHEESEMAKER.