BUTTER AND CHEESE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15398, 5 September 1913, Page 8

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

GOOD DAIRYING PROSPECTS.

SEASON OPENS EARLY.

RECORD OUTPUT EXPECTED.

Dairy farmers and others interested are looking forward with confidence to the outcome of the butter season just opened. The season has commenced fully three weeks earlier than last year, and all available indications point in the direction of a marked increase in both quantity and value of the butter that will be manufactured in the next few months.

Already one shipment of the new season's butter has been sent away from the port of Auckland, the Marama having left for Vancouver last Saturday with 1753 boxes of Auckland butter on board. At the present time there are about 2500 boxes of butter in storage on the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company's premises, and it is anticipated that a considerable amount of this will leave for London by the Rotorua on September 13. The majority of the factories, however, have not decided yet to whom their outputs shall be consigned. Butter is coming into the Freezing Company's stores freely, and by the time the next Vancouver boat arrives, towards the end of September, the season should be in full swing. It is interesting to note that the first shipment of butter sent away from Auckland last year was on September 20, when the Turakina took about 3000 boxes.

Reports from the butter-producing districts of the Auckland Province are promising. Several of the Waikato factories have commenced operations, and the supplies received so far have been very satisfactory. Farmers are satisfied that there is every prospect of a big season being experienced. Many of them, after the hard winter following on the drought of last summer, have come to recognise the advantages of growing winter crops for the benefit of their stock, and, it is stated, mtenu to make better provision for the proper feeding of their cows in future monlus of the cold weather. Herd-testing has been taken up enthusiastically in the Waikato, and—with the growing of winter crops—is bound to play a big part in expanding the dairying industry. Reports from Taihape state that the prospects for the season are particularly good, as the succession of rain and general sunshine has resulted in ample feed for stock. Several small holdings in various parts of the district have been converted into dairy farms and the local factories this season will have much larger lists of suppliers than they had last year. * The season has opened auspiciously throughout the King Country, which escaped much of the severe weather experienced last winter higher up the Main Trunk line, and it is expected that the better conditions of the roads in the back country will enable the farmers to commence bringing in their supplies much earlier than was possible last year. Dairy farmers north of Auckland are" also looking forward to a good season.