ON THE LAND.

Northern Advocate, 19 January 1920, Page 1

ON THE LAND.

CANADIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY

AN INTERESTING REVIEW

(By J. A. Ruddick, Dominion of Can-

Ada Dairy Commissioner.)

The dairying industry of Canada lias established a new record in the total value of milk and its products exported during the year just passed. Complete figures are not yet available, but the total in 1918 will be approximately 47,000,000 dollars. The increase for the 7 months ended October last was 7,600,000 dollars over the same period in 1917. Of course part of this increase is due to higher prices. A careful estimate of the total dairy production in Canada in 1918 places it at something over 200,000,000 dollars, of which about 25 per cent, has be n exported.

The exports of cheese show a decrease in quantity but an increase in value. The decrease amounts to about 100,000 boxes, but it is more than made up by the increase in the quantity of butter; and there has been a large increase in the exports of condensed milk and cream. In spite of the difficulty of getting labour,, the total production of milk showed an increase during the year, and it is the quantity of milk produced, not the quantity of cheese, butter, or other products manufactured or exported that is the important thing.

We should get over that habit of assuming that the dairy industry is declining simply because we are making less cheese or less butter, or selling more than the usual numlber of cows in any particular district. A friend of mme i who is interested in the export trade, was lamenting a few days ago over the large number of "canners" that were passing through the stock yards at Montreal. I old him I was very glad to hear it. The more of these cows that go to the butcher the better it is for the industry, but I take it as an evidence of progress rather than a sign of de-

cline

We should also guard against being carried away by the atto action of big figuies. It is of no importance that we produce'2oo,ooo,ooo dollars worth of dairy products in the year unless the individual farmer is getting a fair share out of it.

I am glad to know that the improvement in dairy herds continues to show good progress. The average yield per cow has been increased by at last 25 per cent, during the last ten years. That is where our increase in production is coming from largely, and where those who keep their eyes on the number of cows in the country are being deceived. This increase is largely the result of disposing of the unprofitable cows. I hope that from this time forward the labour conditions in connection with the production of milk will be easier, ant} that farmers and their families will be relieved to some extent of the hard work which has attended the production of milk during these strenuous years just passed. The organisation of the National Dairy Council so far as it could be promoted at the Ottawa conference, was fully carried out, and thus the first object of the conference was attained. It now remains for the local associations to confirm the action of their delegates and to adhere to the programme laid down.

Another, very important matter was the consideration of legal standards for milk and its products, and also commercial grades and grading of dairy products. After discussion a committee was appointed and a report (brought down ( which was adopted unanimously by the conference. Thus the second object was attained. There were discussions relating to the pasteurisation of cream fqr buttermaking, and what will be of great, er interest to live stock men: a resolution was unanimously passed asking for the compulsory pasteurisation of all dairy by-products.

Now that the war is over, everybody is talking reconstruction, but I do not think that somewhat overworked term need be applied to the dairying industry. There has been very little interruption or disturbance of the industry during the war, and it will flourish in the future just as it has in the past, The dairy industry has nothing to fear in the days which we are facing and there is no need for misgivings and doubt, as there may be some in other lines of industry, It is the opinion of everyone who has pretended to study the situation, that the dairy farmer has better prospects of receiving good prices for his products for a longer time ahead than the producer of almost any other farm crop. No doubt many of you would like to know how the export trade in I butter and cheese will be handled the ! coming season. The Dairy Produce Commission, of which I am a member, has no information on this point. We have had no advice as to what the British Ministry of Food proposes to do. Most likely they do not themselves. Everyone is anxious to get iback to the accustomed channels of trading as soon as possible, but that may not be as easy as it looks. Owing to the great scarcity of dairy products it may be necessary to continue some measure of control and distribution in the Old Country in order to prevent the supply all going to those whose purses are long enough to take it away from others of limited means. The ration at present is only one ounce of butter per week ) and there

' is now doubt if even that can be continued for civilians. As long as control and rationing continues in the United Kingdom, it is quite probable that the authorties there may desire to handle the purchase at this end on similar lines of those followed during the past two seasons. This is only my opinion, however, and I may be wrong in my surmises. Of one thing you can be assured, and it is this that the British Ministry of Food realises that in order to encourage, the l ar S'' production necessary to restore a reasonable balance of supply and demand, high prices must be maintained. They do not want low prices under the circumstances. They have always shown a desire to be fair and reasonable in these matters, and you need have no misgivings on that point. The high prices for apparatus and supplies the high cost of laibour, etc., has made the matter of economy in the management of cheese and butter factories a very much more important matter than it was a few years ago. Much of the standard equipment was designed under very different conditions to thost which exist to-day. I believe that it would be possible to effect a very considerable saving in many directions. In this respect we might take a lesson from our Danish friends and the methods which they have followed in reducing the costs of manufacture. Th e success of the dairying industry in Denmark is due as much, if not more, to the thriftiness of the people, and to careful management as it is to the high quality of the output. One of the useful institutions in Denmark is the Bureau for Creamery Statistics, under the auspices of the Danish Co-operative Creamery Association. This bureau, established in 1898, collects statistics on the cost of fuel and other expenses in connection with the manufacture of butter. At first a great variation was found in the cost of fuel at different creameries. A mechanical and engineering expert is employed to advise creamerymen in the matter of installation and the economical operation of steam boilers and engines, and a very big saving has been effected in the cost of fuel. The same sort of thing has been done in many other lines. It would be a very easy matter for dairy associations to collect statistics as to the cost of fuel per pound of cheese manufactured in the factories belonging to the association. A comparison of the cost of different factories would lead to investigation on the part of those whose costs were much higher than others. The same method of investigation could be applied to other costs. The Dairy Division recently undertook to conduct some tests at the 'Finch Dairy Station as to the saving effected by using cold feed water as against water heated by the exhaust steam, the heat from which would otherwise (be wasted, amounting to over 15 per cent, and in some cases more than double that much. In a large factory this would be an important saving during the year, effected at very small cost by the installation of a tank in whloh water is heated by having the exhaust from the engine passing through it. This tank also supplies hot water for washing and other purposes in the factory. We have found a great saving in the use of this device at the Finch Dairy Station. We propose to follow up this line of investigation by covering different methods of boiler feeding.