REPORT BY THE DAIRY INSTRUCTOR

Otago Witness, Issue 1910, 18 September 1890, Page 11

REPORT BY THE DAIRY INSTRUCTOR

On thb Exportation op New Zbalanp Butter to Gbeat Bbitain. (Continued from page 7)-

In the free use of ice lies the great secret of the success of the Danes in butter making ; and that is also the secret of the success of the colony of Victoria, which has during the past two years used ice-cooled chambers freely. How to Becure the ice, or the necessary cool chambers, ifl the problem to be solved. To secure either involves the use of refrigerating machinery. This can probably only be effeoted by the factory system, where alone sufficient quantities of butter can be made to warrant the erection of necessary refrigerating plant.

I havo advocated the devising of means to procure ice during my circuit and assisted also in devising means for cool storage. Perhaps arrangements could b^ made with the various refrigerating compauies for a supply of ice. Probably enough, the creameries will see the necessity for making ice for their own use. In Denmark, and ou the continent, during the long and cold winter, an abundant, supply of ice is stored for use iv summer. Every farm house of any size, and all factories have ice houses in which a supply of ice is stored during winter, fcr summer use. But in this colony, on account of our temperate climafco, ici cannot be so secured. The necessary cool chambers for shipping the butter home are ia the meantime of the greatest importance, as pointed out ia my last report. This, I hope, will receive dae consideration at your hands. Butter of good quality m3y, at the present juncture, be placed on board the steamers, and from the chambers not having tbe desired and uniformly low temperature (35deg. to 4Qdeg ) it may not arrive In the home market in good marketable condition. As already pointed out, the more necessary requisite is sufficient cool storage for the butter product after manufacture, and while awaiting shipment. The irregular mode of shipment; and want of space has daring the past season operated seriqus'y against the success of the butter export trade, as at tjmea butter ready for export has been kept on hand for two or three months, for the want of cool space in the steamers. And as no proper provision exists for fche proper storage of the butter while awaiting transit, it has to be kept exposed to a high and varying temperature |n tbe dairies, au^ faptorjes. Wheg sp treated

butscr soon loses its firmnFss of texture, and in many cases it becomes mined in flavour. ! New Zealand butter, from the defects of food, care of milk, treatment of cows, &c. soon deteriorates in flavour and grain. This cannot be too strongly impressed upon the butter prod,ucers and exporters. I would again reiterate the necessity for proper cool storage for the butter, both immediately ' after manufacture and while awaiting shipment. During the past season large quantities of butter Ijave been sent by private individuals to export agents for strpment, and sometimes this butter was kept in the warehouses for a considerable time before it was shipped, subjected all the time to a high and varying temperature. I have myself often seen the butter fat oozing through the seams of the boxes and kegs or casks. How could it be expected that butter so treated could, on its arrival Home, command romun?rative prices ? Another matter seriously damaging the butter expsrt trade is the practice of collecting large quantiti- s of butter during the summer months, from all source*, by storekeepers, such butter being packed up in a haoh»zard way and afterward* shipped Home. It is almost superfluous to point the impossibility of making up a good sample of butter in this way. And, again, the reputation of the colony is damaged when exporters resort to the practice of branding the packages to make th.-ua appear to represent N<-.v Zwland creamery butter, with the object of deceiving the buyer. This too common prart'ee, I think, should he put an end to by the strict, enforcement of " The Trades Mark Act 1889," the provisions of which act make such an acMon penal.

Without doubt the succrss of thq butter export tradH rests upon ohh ining the dpsired low temperature throughout the making and while awaiting shipmpnt

If all the butter exported from the colony was manufactured on the factory system, the factories could devise the moans of supplying the wants of the trade ; but as hy far the greatest portion of the product is manufactured and exported by private individuals or the packing house system, I would suggest; for yonr earliest consideration fie advisability of erecting cool chambers at the principal ports of shipment. The butter could b8 sent to theso after manufacture and kept until shipped. This Fe^ms to me the only solution of the present difficulty as the industry stands at the present time. These establishments could ba made self-supporting, by making a small charge for storage. Were such cool chambers established a classification of the product coqld

then be made, but without such 000 l storage chambers classification at the port of shipment seems to be out of the question.

If butter is well made and placed immediately in a cool chamber at a temperature of from 35 to 40 degrees it will keep for an almost indefinite time.

For the purpose of giving practical demonstiation of this I have during the past season placed 561b of fresh butter in the Burnside freezing works. This butter was mide over four months ago under my immediate supervision at the Mosgiel Dairy Factory. Tbe temperature of the room in which tha butter is keing kept is about 22deg Fahrenheit, and the product is to-day in a first-class condition. This butter has not been packed in boxe?, but is made up in £lb prints, rolled in waxed butter paper. From the liability of New Zealand butter to soon lose its marketable quali'i'S from the causes refeired to, I cannot too strongly impress upon producers and experters the necessity for thipping the product as soon as possible after it i*< manufactured — the sooner the better.

Although ib is not des'rablo to have butter frozen, especially if it is heavily salted, I have all along recommended that it should be but slightly salted, and shipped iv the freezing chambers. Butter once fiozen, efpecially if heavily Baited, would not keep long when removed into a hot or varying temperature.

The question of packages is one which is continually cropping up, and is one to which no little attention should be devoted. It does not matter much what style of package is used, provided the butter is of good quality throughout, and the package is neat and attractive. The package should be thoroughly airtight, and the wood used should be well seasoned, so as to prevent shrinkage, which is a too common fault with many of the packages at present in u*e. The best packages I have seen Bre kpgs made of tawa wood, with galvanised hoops. These have a very attractive appearance and are perfectly airtight. Another package which might suit the trade is a square box made of white pine wood, treated so as to expel all natural sap, after which the wood is thoroughly permpated with salt, or some other antiseptic which will not affect the contents. The box is finally carbonised on its interior face by special appliances, and thus the butter comes into contact with wood permeated with salt, <kc, and carbonised, all of which have preservative effects. A square box has an advantage over kegs or casks in economy of space, aa well as having a more attractive appearance, As.

the box can be put together with a few screw nails, the aides can be taken away, leaving a neat square block of butter. A square box is, however, more difficult to make airtight; but it is claimed by the manufacturer of the box in question that it is practically airtight. lam at present experimenting with this box, in order to test its qualities as a package suitable for exporting butter. I have forwarded Home six of these boxes filled with butter, by the s c. Fifeshire : two containing fresh butter, two powdered butter, and two salt. This butter will be tested by two experts at Home, and a full report on the merits of the package, and the quality of the butter will be published as soon as received by me. Packages made of timber not specially prepared, or without enamel, should always be well boiled in a strong solution of salt for several days. The cask or box should afterwards be allowed to stand full of the hot brine till it cools ; and further, the inside of the package before used should be well rubbed over with dry salt. If the wood has been well seasoned it will by this means get thoroughly saturated with salt, which will either destroy or expel hurtful wood acids. Oak casks holding lewt of butter are mostly used for packages in Denmark, and are prepared in the manner described. In concluding this somewhat lengthy report en the exportation of butter, I have deemed it best to refer moredirectly to those matters which have a practical bearing, leaving a more minute statement of minor points which affect the higher branches of the art of butter making for a future occasion-

I cannot too often reiterate that the principal in determining the success of our New Zealand butter export trade is the necessary cool storage for the produce while awaiting shipment and during transit. Until some such practical solution of this difficulty is arrived at New Zealand butter can never be shipped Home as a reliable export. And just herelies the great secret of the success of any butter exporting 'country. At the present time considerable diversity of opinion exists among those interested in the dairying industry of the colony as to what method of instruction should be adopted to best bring about the needed reform in the manufacture of butter and cheese — whether instruction should be given by means of a travelling instructor or byjitinerant or stationary dairy schools. Without detracting in the least from the value of such dairy schools-, I am of opinion that, t o suit the circumstances of the colony, the present system of travelling instruction is the best. Since the dairy farmers are not disposed to go far afield in search of scientific instruction, such instruction must be taken to them. By means of travelling instructors the factory syatem and packing house system would each receive more attention, thereby causing a division of labour, upon wh'ch I place almost exclusive reliance for the future success of the industry.

There are many vital considerations in the manufacture of butter and cheese which demand a prompt and widespread diffusion of the requisite knowledge. In rough and sparsely settled districts where the factory system is not practical, and the packing house system the one likely to bo adopbed, the services of a travelling instructor would be invaluable.

I would further suggest for your careful consideration, that a model dairy school shouH be erected at some suitable centre, n-.t only for its educational value, but also to prove, as it can best be proved by a cash demonstration, that butter can be made and pent Home as a reliable export. In such an establisment there would be refrigerating plant, and in connection with this there might be cool storage space available for the Btorage of butter from the surrounding factories. There should be no difficulty in making such model dairy factory self-supporting, — I have, &c, September 15. John Sawebs.