TO DAIRY FARMERS

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 14 August 1914, Page 5

TO DAIRY FARMERS

IMPOETANT PAPEE ON CREAM GRADING

The following important paper, which was .-read before the shareholders of the Kaipara Cooperative Dairy Faotoiy "Company Limited, at their recent annual mepting, by Mr A. J. Garry, general ruanagw, has been repeatedly held over, and for which wo apologise, but as a good thing will always keep—like Helensville's fams ous butter—we now produce the fahort but interesting address on grading -.-,- The time is past when the supplier who sends in cream of poor quality should be paid the same price for his butterfat as a supplier who send? in cream of good quality. Following up this contention your directois have decided, with practically all the North Auckland factories, to go in for a system of cream grading, paying -J-d per lb less than the standard price fo r second-grade cream, and Id less for third-g^ade cream ; also to deduct id per lb on all cream with a less than a 35 per cent butterfat content. The causes of second-grade cream are many : the principal ones in my opinion being the careless handling of all utensils used in connection with the milk and cream supply on the farm, the mixing of hot and cold cream, insufficient cooling of the cream when it leaves the separator, a low better-fat content also by being stored in an unsuitable place, or left in the sun without sufficient covering while waiting for transport. The following are some of the expressions used in cream grading and the causes : BITTERNESS Usually traceable to feeding. COWY Usually caused by milk being used too soon after the cow has calved. . I would like to impress upon all suppliers the need of great care in this respect, as it causes a lot of trouble in the spring time. FERMENTATION Decomposition, causing cream to swell. This also causes the cheesy flavour, which I find is one of the worst flavours to contend with, as no amount of pasteurisation or other treatment will get rid of this flavour. Mixing hot cream with that a day or two old will often cause this condition. tallowy Is usually caused by the cream being left standing in the sun. I sincerely hope that we will have the help of all euppliers in this matter, and that every one will try to send in cream of first quality, and so help us to make a first-class article and get the top price. One supplier stated that some did not send in their cream as often as they should, and asked what was to be done with them. The Manager replied that the grading would fix that, as any offending in that direction would be put in 2nd grade. The matter of grading was then put to the meeting, and carried with applause.