NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE IN SCOTLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE IN SCOTLAND.

(From Our Own Corrkstondent.) London, April 23. I am indebted to Mr H. R. M 'William, the well-known New Zealand dairy expert, for some interesting and instructive notes on the present position and prospects of New Zealand dairy produce in Scotland, and particularly in the great industrial centre of population — Glasgow. " Our northern markets during the past two weeks," writes Mr M'William, "have been severely glutted with large quantities of Danish, Finnish, and Dutch butfeis, which for the most part were secondary in quality. Still our buyers were enabled to secure some good value from these at very low rates, and choicest Danish butter of the best descriptions h<iß been pressed for sales at prices from 94-a to 965. I am ple&sed to state that there has been a steady dem&nd<for the best qualities of colonial butter, and that prices have been well maintained, the best brands commanding prices almost equal to those obtained forbe«t D&nish. "This is another evidence of the interest and favour in which choicest colonial qualities are held by our buyers, aud in looking back upon the season which is now fast drawing to it close, it is gratifying to notioe the progress which New Zealand butter his made in all oar markets. Many of the largo retailers are still prejudiced in favour of Danish, and in inbsrviews I have h&d with some of them they have admitted to me that the prejudice is purely on the part of the public, and that they know perfectly well that the choicest qualities from the colonies are finer, inasmuch as they are made from the finest grass, while the other is produced, of course, from winter feeding. lam of opinion that it is only a matter of a little time for the consuming public to realise that the colonial butters are finer in body and fiwout i than many of the best Continental butters. } " There has been a marked improvement in j the quality of the New Zealand butters especially this season, and there have been less of the fishy, oily flavours fo much complained of in the past. This, of course, is resultant from the careful teaching in themauufftctureandthe supervision of the produca at the time of shipment in the colony, and also from the fact that shippers generally are realising that it is only by the export of strictly ohoice qualities now that a business can be developed with the parent country. Some of the Australian butters which were made during the time of drought have ; shown shortness in their texlure, and have conj sequently had a tendency to brittleness when cus up on the retail counters. " The New Zealand manufacture, however, has spooned out satisfactorily. The complaint of high colour in New Zealand butter in the beginning of the season was pretty general, but the middle and later shipments have come to band with colour suitable in ev«ry way to the requirements of our northern markets. Some of tha best brands of New Zealand butter have been particularly ran upon by the Scotch ! buyers, and for style of manufacture, flavour, ' and texture they were not to be beaten. I may state as a test of this that one of our leading margarine churners, in a conversation the other day, admitted that he had used a choice New Zealand butter in the manufacture of his high-class blends during the whole of this season because of its excellence of quality and flavour, and that he fouud it eminently superior for blending purposes to any Danish." 1 "I am very glad to inform you." continues

I Mr M 'William, " that very little blended storekeepers' butters from New Zealand came to our market this season, and I hope for the j reputation of the colony every effort will be I used on the other side to prohibit the export of such low-grade goods. I think it a pity that I the sysbem of grading carried out in New Zealand does not prohibit the export of such.low« grade butterp. " There is yet much to bs done in the way of improvement as far as the actnal grading of New Zealand batter in the colony is concerned. I have received in this week a large shipment of butter, one brand of which passed the exanrination of the New Zealand Government official, and was stamped with the first grade. The j butter cannot bring within 10a a owt of the j price obtained for choicest New Zealand i creamery butter. It is secondary and third class in quality, and will have to be sold for bakers' purposes. This bears oat what I have said all along — that unles3 another system of grading is adopted, and & term used which would ba understood by buyers on this side, the best butters will not obtain that prominence which they justly deserve. " New Zealand cheese tkis season has shown an improvement in quality and style of make, and the prices obtained should pleaße the factorymen."