LONDON DAIRY PRODUCE NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 7

LONDON DAIRY PRODUCE NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent. London, December 14. Since my last notes upon the subject of dairy produce, the lonic, with the first large consignment of New Zealand produce, has been docked and discharged. I refrained from speaking of her butter before in order to make sure the initial parcel of the freezing era would justify the action of Mr Reynolds and his fellow-advocates for the new system. 1 had little doubt of the results, even though some of my “ expert" friends hinted that freezing would most certainly destroy the keeping quality of all but the very tip-top butters. Mr Reynolds’ advocacy of freezing I knew to be the result of several years practical experience, and the fact of his having finally committed himself to the practice was sufficient proof to my mind that the damage to butters by very low temperature was more or less mythical. Still I waited to see results befor committing myself to the new creed of “freeze.” I do so now unhesitatingly, not upon the word of any persons calling themselves experts,-but. upon the results of enquiries made yesterday amongst certain retailers who are handling lonic butter, and upon home trials, which I believe in before everything. Keep butter in an average food cupboard four or five days, and if it stands that test you may be pretty certain that there has been* no blunder in the method of its ‘ or carriage. That is the test I applied, and, as the New Zealand butter, was.placed in a cupboaid the temperature of which, was about 50 deg. in the morning and close upon 60 deg. at night, it was a pretty stiff one. So far as I could judge, the last ounce of the pat tested was as sweet as the first eaten, and I am assured that ordinarily good butter will never be injured by being subjected for six weeks to a temperature of from 20 deg. to 30 deg. Nor do I think any damage would arise if a greater degree of cold reigned in the chamber during the voyage. What a saving to shipping companies and exporters it would have been if this fact had been proved five or six years ago I The companies have spent thousands in cool chambers, and, be it said, have been considerably worried by the different sets of temperature faddists, while have lost a great deal of money through mildew, &c. Mildew, of course, cannot put in an appearance at the temperature now demanded by New Zealand exporters.

A s to the incidents of the trade during the past fortnight they have not been of a nature to , bring a glow of satisfaction to exporters’ breasts. Trade has been slow and prices have weakened very considerably, though colonial finest has kept up wonderfully all things considered. It is not a month ago since the Danes put up their price to 130 s, to-dav they are pleased to get 110 s, for home supp'ies are much in excess of what they should be at this season of the year. Grass is still abundant in England and instead of dairymen finding it difficult to supply sufficient milk for town distribution they have a surplus for butter-making purposes. The Danes have also a very full supply, and the Swedes are just as well off. During November the imports of butter were, I believe, fully 10 per cent, in excess of those for the corresponding month of 1893, and it is certain that the Home output is fully that much in excess of the 1893 November make. Taking these facts into consideration it is pleasant to know that 108 s was obtained for colonial finest in Tooley street on Wednesday, and that a fair business has been done at 104 s and 106 s. Bub I am afraid the market is on the down track and for this reason. Whilst “ punting ” about yesterday I happened to drop into a certain commission agency’s place of business just at the same time that one

of the firm’s best customers came in “ Have you got that butter up yet?” be demanded of the salesman. “ No, but you shall have it by to-morrow morning, I promise you faithfully.” “ Won’t do, you can cancel the order,” said the buyer, and then shot away before the flabbergasted salesman could p!ead with him. The latter it seems had sold a large line of butter on board the steamer then in dock at ] 08s on the afternoon previous, promising delivery on the following morning. The ship’s working prevented this and the buyer having meantime observed signs of a further breakdown in prices made haste to get out of his bargain on the non-delivery pretext. And unless a frost sets in quickly, I’m thinking that next vveek end that buyer will pat himself on the back and murmur “smart man.” , :

The Danish position is perhaps best shown by what happened at Manchester a day or two ago. (En parenthese, I distinctly deny that this true story is put forward with any intent to decry Manchester as a distributing centre for colonial produce.) A big produce firm received some 800 casks ot Danish on consignments In the morning they were asking 108 s and 110 s for the stuff, and at nighfc\9Bs and 100 s was greedily accepted. The firm were not guilty of “slaughtering” prices by any means. The market was u full up” and they dare not hold the,stuff for a few days, for Danish has a tendency to “go off” very quickly. I cannot give a reason for this fact, for the Danes are supposed to be facile princeps in the art of buttermaking. But perhaps the fact that they do not wash their butter has something to do with it, and very possibly the vaunted “ nutty ” flavour of finest Danish is retairred at-the'expense of its keeping quality. ■ So far as the condition and quality of the lonic’s butters are c,q|icerned I may say that Jh have - heardlrb complaints, in fact, my enquiries lead me to believe that the percentage of poor stuff on board was;rouqlj_smaller than was the case with the majority of last year’s shipments. - "