National Dairy Association.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 February 1896, Page 3

National Dairy Association.

(Hawera Star.) A meeting of the North Island executive of the above was held in New Plymouth on Monday, 10th inst. Present:—Messrs King (chairman), Ralfe, Murray, J. Foreman, R. Foreman, Oldham, and Finn (secretary); also Mr Mac Ewen, Chief • Dairy Expert. Mr McEwen said that there bad been a large expenditure by the'Government this year in freezing and grading butter, and he would like an expression of opinion from the Executive as to whether enough had not been accomplished in that direction, and part of this expenditure at any rate could not be more profitably diverted into other channels, say the establishment of experimental dairy stations and farms. Things were continually cropping up in the dairying interest that required testing J and experimenting upon if they were to keep abreast of other countries. Agricultural chemistry bad been making rapid strides of late.

After some discussion, a resolution was passed to the effect that the Executive of the association recommend the Government to continue freezing and grading. Mr Ralfe said he remembered there was a great howl set up at one of their meetings when grading first began.

The Chairman said he remembered that, but they had found out that the grading had been educating their managers. Many a manager had lost his situation through making bad butter, and it had only been found out through the grading. Mr Mac Ewen said that he expected as’a result of the dairy schools that managers would be able to guarantee the quality of the butter they turned out. But some factories were not in a state that a good article could be manufactured, but he thought the owners would soon feel compelled to remedy that as a matter of self-inte-rest. He would remark that about £6OOO had been spent in freezing and grading to help the butter industry, but nothing had been done for cheese. He thought that next year they ought only to freeze butter that was graded first quality, and leave the second and third unfrozen,, as that would be an incentive to the production of first-class quality. The Chairman thought that cheese factories must go in for butter part of the year; it must come to a dual plant in the long run. ft Several members expressed an opinion that the Government should do something towards inspection of milking sheds. Mr Mac Ewen stated this was being done in other parts of the country, and he hoped within a week to have a man on to inspect every homestead in Taranaki. He might state that he hoped to begin the Dairy School 10 days earlier than last year so as to close by the 20th August. Mr J. Foreman said he did not think the grading had as yet affected the sale of the butter on the London market, but he regarded grading and freezing as of very great benefit : the grading had forced people to make better butter. • The matter of an Autumn Show of dairy produce was next discussed. Mr R. Foreman explained the ground that induced the Egmont Agricultural and Pastoral Association to decide not to have an Autumn Show. It was agreed that the want of a special show in the autumn was in effect making the dairy industry take a back seat, 'end that a deputation of the Executive meet the committee of the Egmont Agricultural and Paste? ral Society at Hawera and try to arrange for an Autumn Show, to be held interchangeably at New Plymouth and Hawera under the auspices of the National Dairy Association.