NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4309, 19 March 1901, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

ITS QUALITY AND MANUFACTURE THE DAIRY COMMISSIONER AND MR KOWIN. Immediately prior to leaving this colony for London last week, Mr James Kowiu, representing an English firm which haifclles a- very large proportion of the colony’s dairy produce, expressed iiis opinion ,on the quality of New Zealand butter during the p#st season to a representative of this paper. 3he Dairy Commissioner has, to a representative of our contemporary, made certain replies to the statements made by Mr Kowin. Mr Kinsella is reported to have said that “Mr Kowin had admitted to him (Mr Kinsella), in the presence of the secretary of the National Dairy Association, that only a portion of the output of a certain factory had shown traces of ‘fishiness,’ and then only after it had been resold and shipped to Glasgow, where, no doubt, it had been exposed for a long time. A large quantity of thd particular output of butter about which Mr Kowin had complained was actually held in Wellington all winter and was si lipped away earlier than the portion sent by Mr Kowin, and it was reported as giving satisfaction to the retailor's in London. Mr Kinsella had been assured by Mr Kowin that only one case of ‘fishiness’ had been brought under his (Mr Kowin’s) notice t by Messrs Lovell and Christmas this season. This shipment was a small one, and the ‘fishiness’ was only slight, but as soon as the Agent-General reported the matter to the Agricultural Department steps were taken to prevent a repetition of the trouble in reference to that particular brand. The so-called ‘fishy’ flavour of a package .of butter returned to the colony had, to the Commissioner’s mind, undoubtedly been caused through being exposed to the heat in London, no blame whatever being attached to any on© in New Zealand.”

If the Dairy Commissioner will refer again to the report of the interview in question, he will see that Mr Kowin did not refer to the season of 1899-1900, hut to the present season; and'the instance the Commissioner refers to—where" the butter was hold in the colony during the winter and then shipped Home, resold, and .shipped to Glasgow—occurred duj> jpg that season. In regard to the letter from Mr Kowin’s firm, complaining of ‘'‘fishiness’’ in a certain factory’s butter, the Commissioner could have seen on reference to the last report of the Produce Commissioner in London that com- ' plaint is actually made there of “fishinessi” in the butter of the factory- referred to by Mr Kowin; alsn, that the butter of two ether factories was reported on as having been pronounced “fishy.” As to the improvement in the quality of the colony’s butter, it is generally admitted that the Dairy Commissioner’s work among the factories has borne good fruit,. and this was admitted by Mr Kowin, who stated that “certain, factories have turned out a rather better article than formerly, but others, again, with a good reputation, have been manufacturing an inferior article.” It is agreed by those having an acquaintance with the work of dairying education in the colony that while the work of instruction has been eminently satisfactory—it is impossible to speak in high enough praise of the work of the instructors—the butter and cheese makers, with a few exceptions, have failed to appreciate it, and when an instructor pays a second visit he often finds the maker turning out very much the same class of ; work as of old. The trouble is that the staff of the Dairy Commissioner is totally inadequote to deal with the work of instruction; and that, unfortunately, factory directorates do not always insist upon the expert’s instruction and advice being followed. To those makers who are anxious to improve, the effect of the instructor’s work is of permanent value ; but Mr Kinsella will admit, this class of man is in the minority. Reference is made by the Commissioner to the introduction of the properly-prepared starter; and it is an undoubted fact that v. here this principle has been intelligently followed out, the improvement in quality has been most marked. It is a matter of history to New Zealand dairymen, that, some of the crack cheese makers of Otago, who formerly carried off the honours at southern shows, arc now turning out a second-class article, simply because they considered they had nothing more to learn, about their business, and, believing this, grew careless. Another instance of a similar nature is that a certain butter factory in the North Island, which for years was regarded as one of the Jeading factories, has recently had complaints made against it of “fishiness.” This state of things must always exist, to a greater or lesser exteut. but given more instructors and stronger support of their work by factory directors, permanent and all-round improvement must fol- i low. I