DAIRY PRODUCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9322, 27 March 1889, Page 5

DAIRY PRODUCE.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. MEADOWS. OPINIONS OF AN EXPERT. QUALITY OF AUCKLAND BUTTER. THE BEST IN THE WORLD. [BY TKLKOHAPII. OWN CORKPO DENT.] Wellington", Tuesday. Mr. Meadows, the export in dairy produco, who has been travelling through tho colonics for some months past, had an interview with the Minister of Lands this morning. Mr. Meadows is about to return to England under orders from the commercial firm ho represents. His interview with the Minister lasted for a considerable time, and elicited a great ileal of information which will bo interesting to your readers, and possibly instructive and useful to those who are connected with this class of farm produce. I am indebted to the Hon. Mr. Richardson for the following particulars as a general item affecting the whole colony. Mr. Meadows states from the moment the drought in the Australian colonies became certain, and declared over a large area, he was greatly hampered in his operations. He found agents of Australian buyers eager to buy at prices in advanco of what he was prepared to offer for average qualities. The enormous demand for this second or third class article must have had a proportionate result in profit. Ho found the evidence of this everywhere. His operations were not a (lee by this state of the colonial market, for he was only concerned with tho purchase of the first quality of butter under contract for a term extending over considerable periods of time. Further particulars on this branch of the subject I nc6d not trouble you with, as they do not concern directly the industry itself. Mr. Moadows, however, informed the Minister that the finest butter he ever tasted, probably tho finest butter that could be produced in any part of the world, he had got in Auckland. I wish I could say that this unqualified praise was meant to apply to all the producing people in Auckland, but it applies only to one. Yet. the statement is important, coming from an expert, because it proves the presence there of all the conditions of climato, soil, cattle, feed, &c., that are necessary to the production of the finest butter that can be made in any part of the world. It points to defects in manufacturing the article by the other producers, that is to say, want of appliances for special treatment, or general manipulation in the processes. I believe Mr. Meadows, in describing this beatbuttor, used the phrase, "It was butter scientifically made,'' that is to say, with complete appliances to produce it, and tilling all the conditions, when made, of an articlo of tho highest class in any market of the world. I am sorry, however, to say there is another picture to put beside this. Ho found a good deal of indifferent butter in the Auckland province. Having to deal with large quantities, he had to consider the average quality in bulk rather than the highest quality in special cases. From this point of view he found that the highest average in bulk was produced in Canterbury. I think this should stimulate your Auckland producers rather than depress them. Everything seems to depend on the method of production, and of preserving when produced. There was another experience derived from his travelling through the colony, which is very suggestive. He says that he was very much struck with the verdure and beauty of particular districts. Nevertheless, the utter produced in these districts did not come near to the average quality of butter produced in districts loss favoured. Auckland he considered capable of producing the finest butter ami cheese of overy variety that can be made.