NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 861, 31 August 1888, Page 20

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

Mr James Hurse, of Sefton, Canterbury, having just returned from a trip to the Old Country, where he had been pushing the sale of some butter, said, at a public meeting at Sefton on Saturday night:—Before he went Home he obtained a keg of butter made in the ordinary way tp take with him to see how it would stand the voyage. When he got to Wellington he saw 2000 kegs of butter, of the ordinary New Zealand made butter, shipped in the same steamer in which he was going. When he got to London he saw that butter opened and tasted, and he must say that it was a disgrace to the country that sent it. It was sold at per lb. Now, such cargoes as that damaged the country’s name in the future. He took his keg to Bristol and had it tested by an expert a fortnight after landing, because he'wanted to see what effect the weather would have on it after coming out of the cool chamber. Tho expert pronouuced it first-class. He considered it more fatty than the best English, Canadian or Danish, and. tho firm who tested tho keg said, “If your country would always send us butter of quality equal to that, why, we would have an unlimited demand, and it would command the top price in the market.” He (Mr Hurse) found the people at Home prejudiced against colonial produce to such an extent that they would scarcely look at it. Then again, kegs were not suitable vessels to send butter Home in. In his opinion cases were far superior, because kegs were valueless at Home, while you could have the cases returned for 2d each. To be successful in shipping butter Home they ought to send quantities of equal quality. Merchants at Home declined to test every keg separately, but would buy a line of kegs of perhaps 400 or 500 at a time. To show how much good butter was required, he saw margarine ticketed at lOd, lid, and Is per lb. He did not believe in sending all ihe butter to London, but would send some to tbe larger towns inland. In answer to questions, Mr Hurse said his keg was sixty-five days from the time it was made till it was opened. He would not salt too heavily for the English market. Butter of tho same quality as his would have brought Is 3d per lb.