CHEESE-MAKING.

Hawera Star, Volume L, 16 February 1931, Page 4

CHEESE-MAKING.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your valued papers of 10th and 11th inst. with the tvvo' letter’s on cheese-making make interesting reading. Mr Murray feels hurt at my criticism, but we still come back to the fact that New Zealand cheese is the lowest priced on the market, and no advice is palatable, especially from a woman. There is no necessity to interview Professor Riddet. What I saw in the factories explains why New Zealand cheese reaches London in the condition it does, and the truth still is that better prices could be got for your products if properly made, and what I saw was not being well made, and could not b© ex-* pected to turn into good cheese. The sooner the farmer wakes up the better. At the present moment the industry is carrying heavy charges for advice which is not doing it any good. No amount of high paid officials or laws will get you better prices unless you begin to improve matters at the foundation and all through your processes of cheesemaking. The. last paragraph, of Mr Murray’s letter is funny, because if, as he says, the New Zealand cheesemakers can hold their own with cheesemakers in any part of the world, can he explain why the New Zealand cheese gets the lowest price in the markets Y Surely that’s not “holding their own.” When Professor Riddet came out I thought he would do a lot to help the industry, but I am disappointed, and instead of pinning their faith to. the researches at the Massey College, I would suggest your local factories have a vat experimented with in tlieir own district. Take fresh morning’s milk, use a pure starter, and get your laboratory to superintend the manufacture. I think if you would tackle the problem right in your own factories, follow steadily through the whole process, and from the fresh milk to the cured cheese adopt different methods, you would find a considerable improvement in your quality. It is worth trying, only I can see that the I person who tries it has ai hard time ini front of him.

. The personalities in Mr Murray’s letter one treats with contempt, and pities the ignorance that prompts them. The letter by Mr Johnston must make interesting reading for some of the dairy heads, but it is certainly time the farmer looked into things in bis own interest.

I read in the local papers at the time the criticism by a Mr Singleton of Mr Veale and Mr Singleton’s adherence to standardised cheese in spite of the opposition in London and the advice given by returned New Zealand people, and it explained a lot of the dairy produce position to-day, and Mr Johnston’s letter is very true. You have got to meet your' markets, not the views of officialdom, and' the sooner that is done the better. —I am, etc..

MARGARET L. HARRISON. MRS HARRISON’S LETTERS. "You ask me what I think of Mrs Harrison’s suggestions regarding the manufacture of New Zealand Cheddar cheese,” said Mr T. A. Winks, in the course of the interview quoted elsowh ere.

“I can’t do better than leave it to Mrs Harrison, who, in my opinion, is more than holding her own.”