THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 5

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

" Nothing- has been more strongly proved than the extreme backwardness of New . Zealand as a dairy country. The summary ► of all that has been said under that head : -appeared last week in the comparison of <the annual progress during the last five years between this Colony and Victoria. As New Zealand is by nature the finest - dairying country on the face of the planet, we are forcibly,reminded of the saying of r the travelling gourmand who anathema- ': Jbised a bad dinner by declaring that the /Almighty provided the provisions and the J Devil provided the cooks. It is absolutely (.certain that the dairy farmers of this <-Colomy are by no means equal to the opiportunifcies they enjoy. No doubt the Government bonus is thought to be entitled tto the credit of the tremendous victory which the butter-farmers of Victoria Hiave won over tho dairy producers of Mew Zealand. This i# true partially, Ibecause the power of money is always something in such matters. There is more in the instruction supplied to the Victorian farmers by an enlightened Government, by the facilities afforded for carriage, and by the help in the matter of ocean freights. When the Victorian Government' took a if grip of the subject, and began their excel-

lent policy, New Zealand exported ten times the produce of Victoria. But the methods were antiquated and the Government was stagnant. The Victorian butter trade felt the sthmilus, overtook its New Zealand rival, and gained an enormous start before the measures of the new Government which had replaced the stagnation could take effect. The race is now more equal, and we may hope that before long, all other things being equal, the natural superiority of this Colony as a dairy country will bring the dairy industry to the front rank. The country will be glad to learn, of course, that the Government is still alive to the necessity of maintaining the systematic encouragement given to the industry. ' The last practical sign of the continued quickness of that spirit is the appointment of the Canadian expert to give instructions to farmers in all that is best and newest in modern butter-making. But even the best instruction in detail must rest on a good national system. A good system is one that places regular brands on the market, with well-known names and recognised merits. Sush a system is impossible without concentration. There are at present too many factories in New Zealand, the output of each being insufficient to induce wholesale dealers to devote attention to them. In Victoria there are few factories, and many creameries, with the result that the quality'of the butter is more uniform, the brands are i established and sale goes on apace. That is, we take it, the main cause of the superiority of the marKet results to Victorian growers. That is why the dairy industry nourishes so much better in Victoria than it does in New Zealand. The butter industry among us in fact requires more concentration. The perfection of result is obtainable by a system of numerous creameries feeding a central factory. The rail charges will be a charge on the cream of course. But as the department gets nothing or very little now from this source, it could afford to lower the rates for larger business. The unij formity of the quality and the greater quantity under each well-known brand would give a better price, while concentration would certainly cheapen the cost of production. Dairy farmers, if well advised, will see that concentration is to their interest, for their interest is best served by what concentration will give them—cheaper production, better price, readier sale.