DAIRYING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 30 May 1914, Page 10

DAIRYING IN NEW ZEALAND.

GOOD WORDS FROM VISITORS

In order To ascertain the reason for advantages enjoyed by New Zealand, the co-operative distributing companies *>f Australia appointed a delegation u> visit that oounfcry to investigate and report upon the conditions of manufacturing and marketing. Messrs W, 0. Warden (chaini.an of Coastal Farmers' Co-operative Society of New South Wales) and Mr James McKenzio (chairman). Mr A. W. Wilson (manager) of the Gippsland and Northern Co-operative Selling Company of Victoria,, were appointed delegates.. They 1 recently visited New Zealand, and 6pent several weeks in the inspection of butter factories, interviewing directors, officials, and merchants. They also received great assistance from Mr : Cuddift, the dairy commissioner, and, members of his staff. The delegates presented a lengthy report to the conference of co-operative butter distributing companies of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, held in Sydney. In a summary of the conditions the report saya:—

"Having traversed the principal dairying districts of the North and : South Islands of New Zealand, we have < no hesitation in saying that the conditions for making good butter in New Zealand are much more favorable than m Australia, and it is $mall wonder that the New Zealand butter stands in higher estimation on the London market than does Australian. With the exception of the Auckland province, and a little around Wellington, you might say that the whole of the butter m New Zealand is made from 'whole milk' supply. Comparing the home separator supply of of New Zealand with Australia, the latter is very much at a disadvantage. At the time of our visit, in February, the clover and English grasses were as green as they are in Australia in the middle of November. Then the temperature is not nearly so high in New Zealand as it is in Australia. The land is so rich where dairying is carried on that the supply of very large factories is gathered from comparatively small areas. Co-operative factories are very numerous in tho dairying districts of both islands. With conditions such as these are, it is not to be wondered at that there is -very little second-grade butter made in "New Zealand, even from the home separator simply. But when you Cake into conside7'atTon that 73 per cent, of'the Dominion's export is madp. from whole milk supply, which should be all first ■ grade, then it can bet r^^jly under- | stood why there is so little secwid- ! srrade butter exported from New Zea- '. fand to London. Apart, however, from +be un+ural advantages, tbat tbe New Zealanders enjoy, we believe that an enormous amount of frood is done by the very active work that is carried on by Mr Cnddie and bis staff of comr«vfcent instructors, who are always on tie watcb for fae+ones th?>+. may send in i second-grade better. When any inch I f.re fo'ind an instructor is despatched ' promotly to enquire into and rectify tbe d«*fe<vt. Another great factor iv. ■ Ne^' Zealand's success i* +be high standard of perfection +o wbich tbey have , brought tbe art of pasteurising, and ! v-bicb is tt^v universally practised ■ throughout tho Dominion. Some years s ago the New Zealand Government, on j the. ad -vie* of Mr Cuddle, secured the services of an expert in pasteurising from Denmark, to introduce the system into New. Zealand. Under this man Mr j Cuddies staff of instructors became I proficient in the work of pasteurising, i and they in turn taught most of the , factory managers. Valuable work such j as this, added to the splendid natural • advantages that the New Zealand I dairymen enjoy, accounts for the wide | difference that there is to-day in the quality of the New Zealand and Ausj tralia n butters that find their way to : the London market. In New South ; Wales there are, we understand, seve- ,! ral instructors continuously at work i amongst the factroy managers, but we !do not know of any in Victoria. In j Victoria our dairy experts a bpear toi be ..so fully occupied in administering the ': Commerce Act that they have no time ! to devote to tbe more important work that 1* carried on by the New Zealand dairy commissioner and his staff. • We strongly recommend, that butter j made in the Commonwealth be pasteurised, and that competent men be engaged to teach our factory managers i how to do it."

"It is almost incredible thnfc nearly the whole of the) factories in New Zealand have for the nast frmr or five years been successfully carrying; on pasteurisation, whilst- in Australia few of

our managers know how to do it. nor have we experts competent to' instruct them. It appears to; us that our Agricultural departments have been so obsessed with the idea that grade branding is the cure-all for all the ills that .affect, our butter that they /have been blind to a.ll practical methods of raising the quality, and have thus lost the p'lbstanc© in grasmng at the shadow. We were, very much impressed with the nractieal way in which the New Zealand dairy commissioner and his staff are carrying on their work of instructing 'factory, managers and farmers. He seems to have followed pound lines in gathering around him a highly qualified staff of graders and instructors, any on© of whom is capable of goin? at a moment's notice to auv factory that is in difficulties with its biitter. and taking charw* of it until the faults are corrected.'*