DAIRY PRODUCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9495, 18 August 1891, Page 6

DAIRY PRODUCE.

THE PuIMDTAKA’S CHEESE. The Grocer, one of the leading trade journals of the United Kingdom, in its issue of June 27, says, with regard to New Zealand butterand cheese: —“ The dairying industry in New Zealand is threatened with partial, if not complete, collapse. Several ehipments of butter and cheese have of late arrived in an unmerchantable condition, through defective cool-chamber accommodation on board ship;and the Shipping Companies repudiate any liability in the matter, insisting that, according to terms specified,in their bills of lading, they distinctly hold themselves exempt from responsibility in respect of damage to produce in transit. One company has announced to its clientele its intention in future >to charge an extra to 3 per cent insurance indemnity over and above present rates for guaranteeing the condition of dairy produce. The result of these and other proceedings will be watched with keen interest no less by farmers in the Colony than by merchants at home. It is improbable that the New Zealand Government will long preserve a quiescent attitude if the Steamship Companies remain inexorable. On the contrary, it may be safely assumed that it will lend substantial support in safeguarding the industry from possible failure.” Yesterday one of our staff had an interview with Mr W. R. Yorke, the representative of Messrs Boyd and Grant, and was told many facts in connection with the unfortunate result of the consignment by the Rimutaka. Last year Mr Yorke was in the Colony and bought the bulk of that season’s output of butter and cheese from the southern factories, and consigned it to Messrs Boyd and Grant of Liverpool and London, paying, with one or two small exceptions, 4Jd per lb for the cheese delivered f.o.b, at Port Chalmers. The cheese was put on board various steamers, and the freight, £7 per ton, 'was paid in tho Colony. All went well until the Rimutaka’a consignment, consisting of 891. cases, arrived in London. Of this shipment 700 cases were southern factory cheeses and 191 farmers’ parcels, on which Mr Torke advanced 3}d per lb to the owners and paid the freight to London. When this shipment arrived in London Mr Yorke and Mr Grant happened to he there, and, hearing of the damage, went immediately to the Royal Albert Docks to inspect the cheese. Altogether, over 1200 cheeses were damaged, the contents of the cases being in all stages of heating. It appears that, on the vessel's last voyage, there were two cool chambers, one of which had formerly been the second saloon, and the other was the regular chamber. It was in the first-named that the damage was done, as the cheese in the ordinary cool chamber was not damaged at all. Refrigerating engineers were employed to report on tho process of keeping the chambers cool, &c.; and the owners of the rest of the shipment co-operated with Messrs Boyd and Grant in ascertaining, as far as possible, how the damage had been caused, but no definite information could be obtained, though various surmises were rife. Messrs Boyd and Grant then applied, through their London solicitors, to the New Zealand Shipping Company to be indemnified, but up to the time of Mr Yorke’s leaving England no settlement had been made. With this one exception Mr Yorke has always got on splendidly with the shipping companies, and has sent Home immense quantities of butter, cheese and grain, having paid sway over <£60,000 last year for butter and cheese alone. But unless some better security is given for the transit, Messrs Boyd and Grant will withdraw from this Colony altogether. The loss on the Eimutaka’s shipment is said to be from £I2OO to £ISOO, as the cheese was almost useless.

With regard to potatoes, Mr Yorke does not anticipate that New Zealand can ever open up a profitable trade with England. Tho highest price realised is from £3 to £4, and that very seldom. He has known old potatoes as low as 30s—even in April and* May. Tho reason for this is that there are large home stocks, and tho immense quantities grown in Germany are always available if £2 a ton can be procured for them f.o.b. at Hamburgh. Otherwise the Germans manufacture farina, dextrine and glucose from them, after extracting the spirit. These products are used by the artificial gum-makers, and are also employed in stiffening cotton goods. In addition to dairy produce Mr Yorke consigned a large quantity of grain during last season, and would have sent peas, but the varieties grown in the Colony at present are not suitable, and are not cut at the proper time. The pea most suitable for export is a special kind of Marrowfat, a quantity of which Mr Yorke has brought here with him, which he intends to cultivate, with a view of seeing if it will acclimatise well.

The following ia the treatment of cheese, prior to shipment, recommended by a scientific expert: There ia ~np way of avoiding damage to cheese on a long voyage, as, for instance, from New Zealand or Australia to England, unless some sort of quarantine is established at the port of shipment. Consignments of such produce ought to be placed in a cool store, the temperature of which should be maintained at 45deg F. for at least a fortnight before shipment, and should be under such conditions that the cheese can be inspected daily. Then it might be hoped that such cheese as possessed inherent vice might develop unmistakeable signs of deterioration previous to close packing on board ship. Cheese possesses in an eminent degree the constituents necessary to set up all kinds of fermentation.