COLONIAL DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10427, 27 April 1897, Page 3

COLONIAL DAIRY INDUSTRY.

PAPER By MR. SAMUEL LOWE. [FROM OUB OVfS CORRESPONDENT.] London, March 20. Ox Tuesday, the 9th instant, a very interesting and instructive paper on the dairy industry in the colonies was read at the Whitehall Rooms before the Royal Colonial Institute, by Mr, Samuel Lowe-at present dairy produce manager for Messrs. W. Weddel and Company— London dairy expert to the New Zealand Government. Sir William Robinson presided. Mr. Lowe explained that his principal purpoM was to offer gone practical suggestions for increasing the wealth of a large section of the population in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. During the past year, out of dairy produce imported to the value of £20,000,000, the colonies supplied about one-fifth—a little more than £4,000,000. Foreign countries supplied Great Britain with dairy produce to the value of over £16,000,000. He thought these figures were most expressive, and gave a glimpse of the future possibilities of wealth for their colouial friends. Bub several things had to be done before this result could be attained, In the first pface colonial cows did not yield nearly so much milk and butter an they ought to do. Mr, Lowe went on to compare the productiveness of cows in the mother country and the colonies. He showed that) in Great Britain the average yield of milk was 454 gallons per cow, while in some cases, as on Sir J. B. Lawes' farm, the average yield was as high as 85$ gallons per head ; and in ten dairy counties of Scotland 226,000 cowe produced 620 gallons apiece. Bub in New Zealand the average yield was only 330 gallons per cow, in Victoria 291, and in New South Wales only 274. He attributed this partly to the smaller daily production and partly to the long period for which colonial cows were allowed to run dry, owing to non-winter feeding. This brought Mr. Lowe to one of the " points" he desired to make, namely, that if the cows of the dairy'producing colonies — New South Wales, Victoria, New Zealand, and Canada —yielded as much as those of Great Britain, the additional value of the butter which these colonies would be able to send to Great Britain annually—reckoned at 9d por lb—would be very nearly £6,000,000 more than at present, of which more than half a million extra would (jo to New Zealand. New Zealand, for instance, lost 37s per cow yearly as compared with what might be obtained, while if the colonial productiveness had been as high as that) of the ten dairy counties of Scotland the additional profit would nob hare been less than £13,000,009. From these facts Mr. Lowe, deduced that if the colonial dairy farmer wished to replace the foreigner in the British markets he must pay more attention to tho breeding of his cows and ho must adopt a system of winter feeding. As to breeds, three Jerseys coat no more to keep than two shorthorns, while they yielded £15 a year more profit. Comparing the milking life of the two breeds, but allowing for the larger product of beef in the case of the shorthorns, there was still loft a net advantage in profit amounting to £48 on the side of the Jerseys. He did not mean to lay down as a universal rule that the former should take the placo of the latter. Every farmer would have to ascertain for himself what particular breed belt suited hie opportunities, surroundings, and circumstances. During his recent visit to Australia and New Zealand, Mr. f/owe was strongly impressed with the almost total absence of any preparation of winter feeding for cows. It had been found in Canada that excellent ensilage for winter feeding might be prepared by mixing half a bushel of horeo beans with onethird of a bushel of Indian corn, sowing the mixture on an an acre of ground, but cutting the corn when it had reached the glazing stage of growth, and putting it into a silo together with the heads from half an acre of sunflowers. Two and n-hulf acres of this ensilage would give food for eight cows for one hundred and fifty days. Its cost was 6s per ton. If Australia and New Zealand were to adopt an adequate winter food they would bo able to get their butter to London in large quantities during September, October, and November, tlie three months of the year when butter makes the highest prices. Next, Mr. Lowe touched on the factory system and pointed out that the time had passed lor dairying to be carried on as n simple domestic concern requiring little skill or knowledge, and that in the future dairying would become olevated into one of the fermentation industries, like brewing and wine-making, which require an extengive capital, combined with the highest scientific and technical knowledge. Summing up his conclusions, Mr. Lowe preseined to them as inculcating the absolute necessity of the following steps being adopted by colonial producers :—(1) Improving their dairy herds; (2) adopting a system of winter feeding ; (3) confining the manufacture of butter and cheese entirely to the factory system ; (4) making a careful study of the "latest scion discoveries in bacteriology ; (5) adopting universally tho system of pasteurisation; and (6) establishing dairy schools and experiment stations for the higher education of all engaged in tho industry. A lengthened discussion ensued, the speakers us usual boing limited to ton minutes each. Mr. J. B. McEwan, the New Zealand dairy export., complimented Mr, Lowe on his very able paper, and from personal experience could quite endorse (lie majority of hie n»tements. Professor F. G, Lloyd, speaking as a scientific and not as a practical man, urged ihut there were general principles which were as true far the Colonies as for the Mother Country, and that to carry on dairy farming successfully, scienoe must be combined with practice, lie suggested that there should be in each colony an experiment station, and that a competent man should be appointed to work out the problems that are peculiar to each colony, as every colony had difficulties peculiar to itself. An important scientific question to be settled was in what condition should butter made of pasteurised milk or cream, be kept so that it might retain its flavour and not lose it when exposed to warmth ? He did nob think it would be well to pasteurise milk for cheese-making, The ;reat thing for a dairy farmer who really intended to succeed was to see that every particle of his milk was beyond reproach so far ae cleanliness is concerned. That was one of the great difficulties in England. The drinking supply of the cows was polluted with sewage. The colonies should take great caro to avoid this pollution. There were two great essentials in regard to the manufacture of good cheese. One was the presence of the requisite bacteria hi proper quantities, and the other was the proper control of the acidity which was developed at every stage. He himself had brought out an instrument which enabled the degree of acidity to be detected. The Hon. U. E. Pilcher, Q.C. (New South Wales), lmvjng made a few remarks, one being to the effect that the colonies were " in a very dubious condition" and ought to be under one big Government, and not under a number of little ones. The Agent-General for New Zealand said that eight or nine years ago tho dairy industry of New Zealand was scarcely known— fact it was in its infancy— the New Zealanders might well look with pride at the great progress ii had made. If was not through ignorance that the New Zealand farmers did not keep bettor cow?, but through the want of hard cash to buy them. It was only a few years since the> began to enter into dairy farming to a hrgt extend, and doubtless their herds would b< improved as the breeds prospered. Whet Mr. Lowe talked of cows on good farm* giving 540 gallons of milk per year, he dk not say how much such a cow cost to bu] and to keep. Large capitalists could affon to buy the best cattle, but the poorer arme had to be more careful and could nob afforc

to buy the beat breeds at first. In Now Zealand great economy was oxorcised in production and also in distribution and transportation, and it was to both of the latter that the New Zealand former owed bis prosperity, Hβ produced first class cheese and butter, but when the temperature of the steamers was not properly adjusted, when careless consignoei leave the cases exposed in the docks, when the lighters are not properly insulated, when the boxes are left exposed on tbe railway station platforms and trucks, when there is carelesines* in the selection of consignees, then the colonial producer will not get a proper reward for his labour. He did not eay that this was always the caee, but he knew that these things did take place, and they robbed the colonial producer of much of his industry. Mr. R. E. N. Twopsny pointed out that colonial dairy farmers could nob be expected to learn all the new systems and ideas at once. The industry was rapidly developing, but it was still quite a new industry, and it was only in the course of time that tbe requisite improvements could be made. Sir Saul Samuel said that it wait out of the question in the colonies to feed the cattle with special food in the winter. The cost would be enormous, and the rtsults would nob make up for the extra gain. The Chairman proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Lowe for his paper. The vote of thanks was carried by acclimation. Mr, Lowe acknowledged the compliment,