BUTTER INDUSTRY IN HOLLAND.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1695, 24 August 1904, Page 66

BUTTER INDUSTRY IN HOLLAND.

An official circular “on the production or butter and the butter control in the Netherlands” is the fifst of a series of publications by tlie Dutch Agricultural department. Tlie low prices of grain having driven the farmers to the laying out of pastures, a table showing the present importance of cattle breeding shows that in the Netherlands there are 2,147,521 acres under crops, 2,931,502 acres under permanent pasture, 967,492 milch cows out of 1,646.856 cattle, and 324 head of cattle per 1000 acres under crops and grass. The first butter and cheese factory wai established at Leyaien in 1879. From that, time the number of factories, especially co-operative, has largely increased. In 1895 there were 80 steam and 186 hand power factories, all cooperative ; in 1903 the numbers were respectively 247 and 458. The non-co-operative factories do not show a like extension, for while tho steam factories were 14.8 in 1895, and the hand power factories 119, the respective numbers were in 1903, 117 and 52. It is stated that “the . results obtained from a technical point of view are of no real value unless the pure article can be protected against the depreciation by which it is threatened in consequence of all kinds of adulteration , foremost amongst which are those with water and margarine.” Butter acts have been passed, but “they have

not succeeded, any more than the margarine acts in other countries, in putting a stop to the adulteration of butter.” This fact has given rise to the establishment of institutions called butter control stations by argicultural or dairy associations, with chemists as directors, and analysts and inspectors. T'he Government has been considering the advisability of giving official recognition and financial. help. Guarantee marks are supplied, and persons using these improperly are prosecuted, while purchasers and other persons interested can obtain information at the control stations.