The Dairy.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 998, 17 April 1891, Page 25

The Dairy.

NEW ZEALAND CHEESE. It appears that complaints are made amongst provision dealers in England against the quality of New Zealand cheese. A writer in the European Mail, of a late date, says : «I have been making some personal inquiries among members of the trade in reference to food imported generally from the Antipodes, and particularly in connection with dairy produce from New Zealand. I am told that, while the butter from the Britain of the South is much liked and sells quite freely, New Zealand cheese does not “ take.” The reason assigned is that it is “ strong.” It has been sent over, I am informed, in two kinds of packages. In the one case tin has been employed, and in the other reliance has been placed on sawdust. In both instances the cheese has had an unsatisfactory aroma. My informants appear uncertain whether to attribute this to the packing or to the natural character of the cheese itself. No my readers in New Zealand will know much more about this matter than I can tell them. I can only repeat that in some quarters, at present, New Zealand cheese does not sell at all, because it is pronounced to be too “ strong.” ’ HINTS FOR BUTTER EXPORTERSUnder date February 13, the London correspondent of the Australasian writes :—The butter market has recovered somewhat from the state of disorganisation that prevailed last week, and there is a much better feeling among buyers, though the large consignment of New Zealand butter just discharging from the Ruapehu naturally has a tendency to weaken the market. Whether prices will this season rise to what they were a month ago appears very problematical. Reverting to what has been previously said of the value of shippers in Australia earning a good reputation for particular brands, an important illustration may be cited. A well-known buyer declared that this week he had bought butters equally good with the ‘ Emu,’ the Frozen Food and Frozen Storage, and other best marks at at least 4s, and in som encases 6s, a cwt less than those well-known and highly-prized butters. There is little doubt that the less,known but excellent butters are sacrificed, so that certain brands may realise high figures. Another point of interest to makers and brokers, both in Australia and New Zealand, is not to distribute their consignments among several brokers here. A case occurred this week of a large broker offering a certain brand to a buyer at a certain price; the buyer pulled a telegram out of his pocket showing he had offers of the self-same butter from another broker at a much less price. Thus the maker was practically competing against himself. A pointj too, that may be of value to those

consigning butter is to select good firms on this side to sell their produce. Small brokers here, who have no reputation to lose, frequently sell butters four or six shillings under market values. Messrs Cruickshanlc and Lovell have received by the Austral a consignment of butter of a well-known mark which is very badly selected as regards colour. The writer has seen boxes of this mark opened, and found some with the butter nearly white, others a faint yellow, while others were of a rich golden yellow. Now it cannot be too clearly understood that these whitish or exceedingly palish yellow butters are not suitable for the English market. In the cases in point they were sold at least 5s below what they would have realised if they had been properly coloured. Some buyers complain of the quality of salt used in certain butters. It apparently has never been dissolved, as it is found in large crystals, so large in some cases as to be audible when cut with a knife. It is possible that this salt may have been in solution and recrystalised; but against this supposition is the fact that the crystals are large, which they could scarcely be in a compound of the stiffness of butter. If the salt was in solution, it would be so evenly distributed throughout the butter that thei’e would not be sufficient salt in any one place to produce such large crystals as are frequently encountered. NOTESFor a long time it has been an open secret that many of the Melbourne salesmen were suspected of making systematic departures between the amount received for butter in the sales rooms and the cheque forsvarded to the producer. A glaring case in point has just came under our notice, says the Euroa Advertiser. A consignment of cream was equally divided, half being sent to a Melbourne depot and the other being made up at home, and forwarded in the shape of butter to the same sale room. The result was, that when the respective returns came to hand, the cream invoice showed four pounds of butter less than the locally churned half, and the price paid was 8d per lb, whereas the dairyman received 10|d per lb for his butter consignment, the operations of the middlemen thus showing him to be the gainer, on this one transaction, of 51 per lb all round, and an extra four pounds of butter into the bargain.

The American Analyst has been figuring up the magnitude of the dairy interest of the United States, and finds that the annual value of the milk—so per cent of which is converted into butter and cheese—aggregates about £130,000,000. Only an insignificant quantity or this vast product is imported, not more than - £2,000,000 worth a year. There was 750,000 men employed in the industry.

The Mauriceville Dairy Factory Company have just received advice of the sale of their first shipment of the new season’s butter ex s.s. Rimutaka. The price realised in the London market was 114 s per cwt, being the highest price fetched for any of the butter conveyed in the steamer. - The factory at present puts through about three hundred gallons of milk per day. The price allowed for the milk is 2jd per gallon, and one pound of butter is produced from every 221 b or a little over two gallons of milk. The manager is an expert from Denmark, who arrived in the Colony six months ago.

The chemist of the Highland Society had a conference at Ayr, recently, with a committee of the Ayrshire Agricultural Science Society in regard to the experiments agreed upon to test the milking properties of Ayrshire cows. Dr. Aitken said he had prepared schedules on which the different experiments would mark the weight in pounds of milk given at each milking by the experimental cows. Samples of the milk of each cow would be sent to him once a fortnight, in order that he might estimate the solids, fat, caseine and specific gravity. He had also prepared another schedule, on which each experimenter would be asked to fill up the answers to the queries which were in reference to the situation of the different farms, the nature of the soil and the subsoil, the rotation of cropping and general management, the management of dung and urine, the land and average quantities of fodder and feeding stuffs used, and the general management of the cows. He thought it would be better that the samples sent him for analysis should be taken from the morning’s milk. The experi-

menters should so select the best cows that they had rather than the average. The experiment would be commenced about the Ist of May, and would continue for three months. One of the gentlemen present said that instead of taking their best, they should lake average cows, because if they only took their best, a wrong impression might go abroad as to the average milking qualities of the Ayrshire cow, and that might affect the landlord’s view of things. Dr. Aitken said they should not mind the landlord’s view of it. It was desirable that the uniform pails and balances should be used in. estimating the weight of milk ; but the Highland Society did not yet know whether it would get a grant from Government to assist in carrying on these experiments, and as the society had provided the boxes, canisters, &c., for the analytical samples and schedules ii-ee of charge, it was thought that the experimenters would themselves supply the pails and balances. Mr Gray, Midton, and Mr Mair, Locbill, were appointed a sub-committee to inquire into the matter of pails and balances and the price at which they might be supplied.

Most of the road contracts in progresa about Birmingham have been thrown up, the contractors averring that they are not getting a sufficient price to pay expenses. It is stated on good authority that some astounding revelations will be made connection with the Forty Mile Bash land settlements. It is said that the enquiry shows that only one out of every three who have taken up land, is a bocS. fide Battler within the meaning of the Act. For the purpose of ascertaining how far the terms of the Land Act were being complied with in the Wellington district, the Minister of Lands is getting a report prepared on lands held under settlement conditions in the Wellington Land District. There are 263 selections now reported upon in the land district under the terms of special settlements, deferred payment, perpetual lease, and small grazing runs. It is found that only 171 of the original selectors still retain their titles, the other 92 having transferred. Only 97 selectors are residing on the 263 sections, 207 have complied with the conditions as to cultivation, 41 have not so complied, and 15 have made absolutely no improvement. Thus there are 56 persons whose titles are liable to be forfeited. At the Feilding Special Settlement, out of 51 original 'selectors, only 35 still hold their land, 29 ore residing on the sections, 31 have complied with tho cultivation conditions, 17 have not complied, and three have made no improvements at all, 20 being thus liable to forfeiture.