CHEESE FOR EXPORT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume X, Issue 4096, 28 December 1887, Page 4

CHEESE FOR EXPORT.

VTe take the following from the London circular of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company : CHEESE. For the guidance < f shippers we send the following remarks upon the above articles written from a London stand point. Past Shipments from yonr colony.— These have been received too irregularly to admit of a steady trade being established in New Zealand produce, such as ia done in Canadian, United States, Dutch, ate. The qaality and condition hare also been very irregular; bnt the general impression left on the minds of experts here is to the effect that the great majority of the shipment} received comprised cheese of originally excellent fUvor and consistency, and bad they been shipped

under different circumstances as to temperature in ships' hold they would have found a resdy market amongst the highest qualities generally available in this market. Qiite recently a few cases, shipped at lovercargill, which happened to-be stowed in a particularly favorable position in the hold c-f the Tainui (s), vfz, —in close proximiiy to the freezing chamber, —reached London in perfectly good condition, and the opinion above quoted found verification in the fact that forthese cases 60* per cwt, the top price for prime American cheeae, waa easily Becared. It is manifest then that for qaality and method of preparation your colony can compete with America or Canada. The greet drawback to the incceesful sale of yonr produce in this market ia its unsatisfactory condition on arrival. This has not yet been proved to bean insuperable difficulty, but for some reason with which we are not acquainted, shippers have continued to ignore the instructions which we have so frequently sent, that they should avoid shipping cheese as general cargo, and shcu'd Insist npon having cool space provided for the tranaport of their produce. On this side when we have approached the ■hipping companies with a view to getting ' them to provide cool chambers for butter and cheese, we have always been m t with a request for information as to tha quantity likely to be shipped. To this we have been unable to give any satisfactory reply, the Irregularity with which shipments ' have dome forward from year to year rendering aoy eatima'e unreliable. The matter must be taken tip on your Bide, and already we understand that some negotiations are now in progress, if not already carried into effect, with the New Zaalind Shipping Company (L : mited) in thia connection. But it ahoutd be tiken Bp by all the shipping ports in order to command the attention of the steam ship

companies. The following mora specific instructions may be of serv:c3 to yon in gniding . snipper*, ihoald the necessary accommodation be forthcoming, viz : (i) Sizj : The most suitable cheese for this market, when of gotd to prime . qntlity, are those weighing from 561b to 701b each. Smaller cheeses, though saleable at a reduction in price, are lessauitable. (b) Shape: The best la the.Cheddar shape. (c) Flavor should be as mild bs posaible. (d) Color : Straw color is most sought after, bat cheese of a slightly reddish hue will also sell well. (e) Packing: Etch cheese should be packed by itself in a round wooden box with a close-fitting lid, sf -er the style of the well-known American Cheddar chaese boxes. It ia no use putting the cheeses in tins for this market. (f) Uniformity as regards sizs, shape, color, flivor, etc., in each shipment is a great desideratum. More important still is uniformity in style of manufacture throughout New Zealand, which, if secured even approximately, would greatly assist colonial shippers in their competition with America. ' (g) Temperature during the voyaee to , this country should not exceed 503 eg vFihr., with 40deg for a minimum record. ' Freezing muse be avoided, at least until ; farther experiment may justify its adop- " (ion. In any case shipping in a cool chamber will undoubtedly be the more economical cmrse to follow. Charges in London amonnt to a small .fraction over £1 per lb. to which must be added freight and primage, as may be ' arranged on your side. Market prospects are at the present moment, perbapi, somewhat more promising than usual, owing to the prospective temporary shortness of the Home supply. The general quality of English produce has fallen off very much during late years, owing to the increased rise of "skim." milk by manufsoturers. What America can send we have no means of estimating, as we only receive from that quarter whatever may not be required for local consumption. For the same reason we do not receive the pick of the American manufactures. Pi ices are very Irregular throughout the year, the range for the past twelve mon'hs for American being from 283 to 651 per cwt. This, however, arises largely from the great difference# in quality sent to this mirket at different seasons of the yeisr. There is always a good demand f->r 100od, well-made cheese, and it seemß not improbable that on average about 45) to 60* per cwt., according to quality, might be readily secured throughout the year for New Zealand prodoca of that description. During the late autumn and winter months say (September to March) a cousiderably higher level conld doubtless be reached, aqd so far as practicable an effort should he made to place co'ooial shipments on the London market during that period of the ye*r. A Standard of Qaality.—The desirability of having before yon exactly that style of cheese which would best suit the grants of oar market suggests to us that ire should name some particular colonial Brand, and we are fortanately in a position, to do so. By the Tainui, s.s., we received lsat month a consignment from the Gore Dairy Factory Co., of Invercar* gill, which was, perhaps, as nearly as possible perfect in point of s : Zi, color, shape, flivor, at time of shipment. We assume that to have been the case, because seven cases, which were packed close to the refrigerating chamber happened to come to band in good condition —that is to say, unaffected by the heat of the steamer's hold, and these seven ciaes were a practicilly perfect sample of what New Zealand cheese ought to be. This is the parcel alluded to above.