THE DAIRY EXPERT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2082, 18 January 1894, Page 7

THE DAIRY EXPERT.

Wellinoton, January 12.

Mr C. R. Valentine, the chief dairy expert for New Zealand, who arrived yesterday, says it is highly probable that a large syndicate will be formed shortly to run a direct line of steamers between Liverpool, Manchester, and New Zealand. He is convinced that the New Zealand" 1 producer will have to be brought into closer communication with the Home consumer, as at present colonial products pass through the hands of too many middlemen. Mr Valentine awaits tho arrival of the Minister for Lands and Mr Ritchie, and after conferring with them will start on a tour of inspection of the dairy factories and creameries of the colony.

Mr Valentine was born at Ludlow, in Shropshire, where his family has been settled for 150 years past. He started at one of the leading dairy schools in the Midlands, and carried off the diploma of tho British Dairy Farmers' Association. He afterwards received an appointment of lecturer on dairy farming and dairying from the University College, North Wales, and has since held various leading positions in connection with the dairying industry. Mr Valentine on visiting the Continent, after receiving his appointment from the New Zealand Government, found that in Denmark and Sweden the production of dairy articles on scientific principles had been carried aa near perfection as possible, but that both the Danes and Swedes were feeling so acutely the competition of New Zealand and Australian producers that they were in sheer self-defence sacrificing a quantity of the output to the maintenance of a high standard of quality. The colonial producer has them at an advantage by reason of the fact that Danish and Swedish producers are practically snowed up for six months of the year, during which time their cattle are deprived of growing pasture. In Belgium, Holland, and North Germany dairying is by no means up to the same standard. At Hamburg, Mr Valentine told the correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, he gave special attention to the manufacture of margarine, which obtains there, as well as in England, through lax administration. In England a great quantity of this mixture has been sold as pure butter from 80s to 100s the cwt, to the detriment of colonial producers of the legitimate article. A principal constituent of this spurious mixture is oleo or animal fat, which is mixed with the choicest butter. The operators are

now using to some extent a tasteless oil, which is really extracted from arachis nuts. This article is made up in large quantities, and is so "faked" that it enters into competition with colonial butter and injures its sale. It is exported from Germany as pure German butter. Mr Valentine found that the North German centres offered a good market for beef and mutton, and that there was a demand at times for - butter and tallow, and to some extent for honey. In Sweden he went thoroughly into the matter of sterilising milk, and found that in many instances It worked out moat successfully, and that it can be equally well employed in the colonies. After returning from this trip, and having many official interviews in London with the trade and with experts, Mr Valentine, in response to pressing requests, delivered addresses before the Chambers of Commerce of Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow. There is great rivalry between the brokers and merchants of London and those of the three great provincial centres. Those of London seek to obtain a monopoly of colonial produce, and to make London the distributing centre for the United Kingdom. Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow are, however, determined to have direct trade relations with t^he colonies. London caters for five and a-quarter millions of people, but the other three large entrepots cater for nine millions of people, who, being higher wageearners on the whole, are therefore better customers for colonial products. In fact, Mr Valentine says it is highly probable that a large syndicate will be formed shortly to run a direct line of steamers between Liverpool and Manchester and New Zealand.

Mr Valentine left England on October 14, and made a tour of inspection through the United States and Canada. He states that the consumption of dairy produce is steadily increasing, while the production does not increase in proportion, and New Zealand can compete at an advantage against both the States and Canada owing to the lower cost of production and the difference in seasons. The Americans talk of removing the duty from wool, and of reducing the duty on butter from six cents to three or four cents the pound. This will offer a great chance to the coloniaF exporter. In Canada great attention is being given to winter dairying, but the farmers there labour under the same difficulties as those in Scandinavia.

Mr Valentine embarked on the Warrimoo at Vancouver, and on December 10 landed in Sydney. He travelled through the leading dairy districts both in New South Wales and Victoria, and thoroughly investigated matters relative to the shipment of butter. He thinks that New Zealand has little to fear from the competition of either of the sister colonies,

although they have adopted the most modern dairying plant.

It is Mr Valentine's intention to draw up a full official report upon his visits to the various countries I have enumerated, to formulate a series of suggestions derived from the investigations he has made and the information he has gleaned. These will treat briefly of the moat effective methodß of marketing our dairy produce. One or two of these suggestions will involve somewhat of a revolution in our methods. It will be necessary for the purposes of the - English market to have our butter graded, and the practice of shopkeepers collecting butter and shipping it as factory butter will have to be repressed, as it has a prejudicial effect in the Home market. Mr Valentine says that undoubtedly the choicest butter* in the English market is that from New Zealand, and there is a great opening there also for good cheese. Mr Valentine has brought with him a chart thermometer for use on steamers carrying Home colonial dairy products.