AUCKLAND'S WINTER SHOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13450, 29 May 1907, Page 8

AUCKLAND'S WINTER SHOW.

COMMENTS BY THE I DAIRY

COMMISSIONER.

[by TELEGRAPH. CORRESPONDENT.]

.' ': ' Wellington, Tuesday.' The _ Dairy Commissioner, Mr. D. Cuddie, who was present at the Auckland Winter Show and Dairy Conference, has returned to Wellington with a high opinion of the first winter fixture of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association,. which was all the more creditable, he remarked to the agricultural editor of the Times, considering the brief period of preparation. , ; f-

;" The butter and cheese exhibits," said Mr. Cuddle, "were both numerous and of good quality, and they were excellently staged.'The county bays were very good, but as an individual display the exhibit of the Agricultural Department occupied pride of place. It was the feature of the show, and was most comprehensive, including, as it did, practically every farm product of the State, as well as many special products which have not as yet been ; taken up -by : primary producers." '-'■':.'' '

. Reverting to the butter section of ..the show, 1 Mr. Cuddie said the large display was not made up by duplication of entries, as factories were only allowed to make one entry in each class, and practically all the factories in the Auckland province were represented. ■ The managers of the factories were present on the second and, third days, and took a very keen interest in the examination of the butter and cheese. " They were unanimous in their'opinion with regard to the fine quality of the successful butters.' .'lt was especially gratifying:,to Mr. Cuddie not to hear a single word of complaint as to.' the work : of. the l judges. | One of ""the most pleasant experiences the Dairy Commissioner had "at the show was in finding the makers of the province such a broad-minded class of men. * They were free in their criticism, but all most anxious to learn. . This was, he said, a happy augury for. the future of the industry in that part of the- colony. . ' One factor, - Mr. Cuddie points out, which will not be conducive, to the ■, further improvement of buttermaking in the .North: is the large number of hand separators which are now in use. "This cannot tend to uniformity and high quality," he says. • " The chief weakness of the system is the great irregularity of the cream delivered from .some home separating plants, due principally to the delay in forwarding it. Of course, in certain parts of the Auckland province settlers Are very much scattered, and it is impossible for them to. supply the whole milk. , Home separation consequently is the only practical means of conducting the business. Two important points in 2 home separating which are - too- often neglected are that' the separator must be well cleaned after each operation, and _ the cream must be- cooled immediately it separated. If this were done, and the cream delivered daily, there would be less -complaints heard of, the homo, separator. V It is not the system which is at,,;;fault,, so much as the method of carrying 'it out.' Some. Auckland 'factories are - pasteurising: the cream, and with. fairly successful,; results.' ,'-.'• ( This is the only way. of minimising the defects in the butter made from badly-treated home-separated cream. ,-•"..'"'.;, - " There is little or" no excuse," Mr. Cuddie adds, "for delivering milk or cream ; at a' factory in a bad condition, and the business will- never be put on a proper footing until this is,recognised." ~ • ~\ ;; „'