NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 16

NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

THE ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the National Dairy Association was held on Wednesday morning. Mr Jas. Milne (Wyndham), president of -tlft association, occupied the chair, and the following delegates were present: — Messrs J. Gray and R. Winning (Mataura), J. Barnett (Central Canterbury), M. Richardson (Mataura Island), A. Pryde (Omimi), A. Macfarlane and W. J. Bolt (Taieri and Peninsula), A. Campbell (Wyndham), J. M'Lauch<lan (Waikawa Valley), A. M'Coll (Seaward Downs), J. Spratt (Dunedin), — Rae (German Bay), H-. E. Bacon (Mokoreta), G. jßeeve (Gore), John Stevenson (Henley), and W. Gould (North Otago). The Chairman, in moving tho adoption of the re-port (already published) and balance sheet, said that from a dairyman's point of view the year's operations had been exceedingly satisfactory. They had opened with low prices, and, as the season had advanced, prices had improved. The only matter of real importance arising out of tho report upon which he had need to touch was the question of shipping arrangements. A good deal of correspondence had passed with respect to the railway freights, but sc far ■without much effect, but he had hopes that by dint of perseverance they would get what they wanted. With reference to grading accommodation, he had approached Mr Ritchie and Mr Kinsella, and they were fully alive to the need. He had approached the Railway Department with a view of having a &hed set apart for the purpose both here and at the Bluff so that the cheese might be knocked about as little as possible. It was most important that they should get their produce sent Home 'in a

satisfactory condition. Their shipping contract had all but expired, and the Union Company had carried out their part of the contract very satisfactory. As regards butter, he would have preferred to get a cheap through-rate, but on behalf of the association he had signed a contract for five years. The freight on cheese would be the same, but on butter 4-s 4£d lees. The reduction wns not a great one, but the companies had agreed to give a rebate of 2£ per cent, in actual freights to be distributed amongst the associated factories pro rata in' October of each year. The companies did not confcider this rebate as a reduction in freicht, but in order to promote combination. — (Ap2jlau=e.) Mr M'Coll seconded the motion. Mr Winning inquired what subscription* v/ere outstanding. He noticed by the balance sheet that if the secretary's salary had been paid for the full 12 months, instead of 10, they would have a debit balance. The Secretary paid that since the balance

sheet was made out subscriptions amounting to £32 had come in, ond now there were only three subscriptions outstanding. There was onty one factory in Canterbury and one

in Otago and Southland not belonging to the association. With every account paid to ctote, tli© association was £5 4s 3d in credit, and £15 in subscriptions still to come in. The motion was carried unanimously. The election of committee was next proreeded with. The Chairman said that the

retiring members were. Messrs John Steven-

son and James Milne. In addition, he regretted to state that Mr John Angus had resigned his position on the executive. According to tho resolution passed at la3t meeting, the secretary had visited Canterbury to get the factories there as-ociated, and it was only right to have a Canterbury representative also on the committee. Messrs James Milne (Wyndham), John Barnett (Canterbury Central), John Stevenson (Henley), and W. J. Bolt (Taieri and Peninsula) were elected members of committee. Mr James Milne was re-elected president. The Secretary announced that Mr Kinsrlla would be unable to read his promised paper at the meeting, as he was busy judging. They hoped to be nble to arrange for the paper to be read on Thursday, probably at 11 o'clock.

The Secretary

read tho following letter

from Messrs Tothill, Watson, and Co.: — "We uish to take this opportunity of leiberatinpt our views on the subject of the secretaryship of your association. The disadvantages to other exporters, arising from the position of secretary being held by an exporter, are co ljianifret and have been pointed out to you before by us that we will not dwell on them here further tlian to express the hope that your association will see its way to arranee this matter satisfactorily. Freights : Wo understand from you that a fresh contract is pending with the shipping companies, the probable basis of which is that the old freight will maintain carrying a dit-count of 2£ per cent. This discount, we understand, will bo credited to the factory. This course, we maintam, will not be fair to exporters, for thih reason: that a buyer handling a factory's ohees", takes over that factory's chip-

ping arrangements as presided for with the association's contract, and is entitled to any discounts or rebate on freight. Therefore,

we think the better course is to credit these lebates or discounts to tho firm handlina

the produce to the Home marjeet. If he j is handling the output as a consignment on • behalf of the factory, he will, of course, credit these rebates to them in his account sales, but if he buys outright he is certainly entitled to receive these amounts himself. It will save endless confusion if the rebates are made in the first instance to the man handling the output. We wish once more to say that our objections in connection with the seeretai yship are based on a principle, and are in no way personal a3 regards Mr Scott." Mr M'Call moved that the letter be merely received. He thought that everyone was satisfied that the secretary had given every satisfaction, although he was a buyer. Mr Campbell seconded the motion. The Chairman said that he had no end of trouble over the matter of the secretary- . ship, and he had mado up his mind to take ' the stand that if the association could not . be entrusted with the appointment of its ' secretary, then it was time they threw up the sponge. It was not right that anyone should dictate- as to who thc-y should appoint. The new blood on the executive might see fit to make a change, but that would be decided at their next meeting. He did not feel inclined to make any rebate to the buyers. ! The motion was carried. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs M'Call and M'Lauchlan — "That this meeting has every confidence in the past conduct of Mr Scott, and they leave the appointment of the secretary in the hands of the executive." Mr Winning moved and Mr M'Call se- , conded — " That the executive be instructed j to convene branch meetings at Christchurch or Lyttelton, or Invercargill or the Bluff, to he attended Joy factory directors and rheetse and butter makers, to discuss the question of chesse-grading. The Dairy Commissioners to be also invited to be 1) resent." Mr Bacon said that the holding of meetings at the grading ports was a ma£ter for the association to take up. Ho would like to know whether the- standards used by the Government for grading were the standards which were required as bringing most money on the London market. At the present time Canada was proinpf in for a moister cheese, which was taking better on the London market, but they had no data to go on. A comparison of the grading re- \ ports and account s-nles would Ik> helpful. Mr Reeve said that according to the GoI vernment grader some of his cheese was 1 second grade. Ho sent it Home on his own account, and it realised the same pr'ce as the first grade cheese. In this connection ' he had received the following letter from Andrew Clement and Co., of London: — "We carefully examined your cheese by the Papanui, and do not find any great difference. We sold them a? one lot, but while we do not p:ss them as ab c olutely fancy cheese, we consider tlvm ordinary finest, and we made a price all round, as you will see from account Bales, of 53s 6d. As a rule the grading has not a great deal of effect in the selling of tho .goods here, | but it is beginning to get known that such a mark is on the packages of both cheese and butter. While tho cheese might be equally as good this Government grad3 certainly lowers the value a shilling or so, and., in the case of butter two to four shillings per cwt. When there is only a part of eecond grade mixed with the first, we easily sell as one lot on tho basis of tho first grade price. We Fold this shipment on a basis of No. 1 grade, and if there weie any graded No. 2 we did not take them into account: but we did not see any of that c !a c «. They seemed a fair, regular lot of ordinary finest cheese." Mr Richardson taid that an occasional change of grader would give the public confidence. The Chairman said that he had interviewed Mr Kinsella re the grading, and he said that he would be only too glad to takehint -i and advice, but he would like all suggestions to come through the association, ■with a view to some sort of finality. If th-e factories had a grievance and submitted it through the association Mr Kinsella. would be glad to meet them. Mr Reeve tok\ that every grader should be a chee&emaker. Mr John Gray and Mr Bacon said that it would be a, great mistake to upset the pre-Bt-nt system of grading. The motion wos carried. It was rcolved, on the notion pf Me=srs Bacon and Ree\e— "That this meeting considers 2^ per cent, a rcirect allow aroe for shrinkage on cheese six months old for export." The meeting then adjourned. The adjourned annual meeting of tho National Dairy Association was held on Thursday. The President (Mr Jas. Milne), who again occupied the chair, said that he had great pleasure in calling upon the Dairy Commissioner (Mr J. A. Kinse-lla) to read a paper upon a new process of cheese-curing. Mr Kinsella said that it was a great pleasure to him to meet the factory managers (

| of the south in Dunedin, his only regrefc . being that it was not possible to get together all the managers and discuss many matters which needed ventilating. Last; year's conference was very helpful. A great deal of good could be derived from the morefrequent holding of such conferences, and' he strongly recommended their encouragement. With reference to the better curing of cheese in the colony, the reason why ho had previously recommended a firmer cheese, particularly in the South Island, was because in former days a large part of the cheese shipped from New Zealand had been too soft, and consequently arrived in the Old Country a pasty and weak-bodied cheese. This was not alone due to the method of. manufacture, but also to the varied temperature under which the cheese had to be kept. 1 With these few preliminary remarks ha would proceod to read a short paper on 1 "Better Curing of Cheese Required": — New Zealand is looked upon by other cheese-producing countries as having a very suitable climate for curing cheese with that mild flavour so much sought after by the British buyer. My own experience convinces me that this is true to a certain extent, for in no other country "have I found the conditions existing, after the manager has received the raw material, so favourable as they are in this country. Although we have a better climate than many other countries, yet the conditions existing for the uniform curing of cheese arp hardly suitable for the production of a fine-flavoured article. A few years ago New Zealand undertook to make cheese of mild flavour and soft body, 1 but this practically proved a failure. Tho cheese.s were rnadf* too moist and were exposed to fairly hiffh temperatures during tho summer months, t*ie. consequence being that; they showed a tendency to develop "hot" and "off" flavours and openness in body. In order to produce that mild, cool flavour and me?tv body in Cheddar cheese, under ordinary conditions of manufacture, it is necessary that the temperature during the curing process should not excec-cl 65deg. Fah. Therefore, after seeing ihe conditions whic'i existed at most of our factories for the cuiing of chee=c two years ago, I realised thsb it was necessary at th°t time for us to mal f o a cheese of slightly firmer body. In 1900, when we had some difficulty regarding tho shrinkage and tho shipping of uncured cheese from c ome . factories to the grading store*, and when the question of Bhort weights- was causing 'friction between buyer and seller, I suggested to some of tho largest producer i a c eheme to overcome the trouble. I wouM still recommend fie carrying out of th • scheme which I sug^^sted at that time, and I am now in a position to fpeak in still stronger terms and to quote authorities as to its feasibility end value frnm the produccr'p point of yew. In 1900 I recommended the formation of two co-operative companies by the ch'-^sc producers, and the orec'ion of two or more large cheese-curing roon-T — one in the South and the other in the North Island, at the most convergent and central cheese shipping ports. Such central curing rooms need not be too elaborate or very exprn-ive, but they would require to be sub'-tnntial and to have a con« trollablc fystrm of *-■ ntilation. It is nrcs-sary'-'that the- walls, floor, and cailing should be insulated with pumice or some_ other cheap insulating material. In addition to this, a fre^zinir m:ici'ii c wculd have to bo installed, so that the tempenture- could bo perfectly controlled. It would also be necessary to have such co-operative curing rooms sufficiently large to cure the che^so from a number of factories in the- surrouiv'insr district, «o that the cheese could br> sent in by wasrgon and rail shortly aftrcoming from the hoop. At the pre3erfc time, seeing that the producers own th"* co-operarivc free-zing works at Moturoa, and have- sufficient freezing power, a grand opportunity offers itself for the erection of such a central curing room there. Them are many things which commend this scheme to the producers of this colony, anu the sooner action is taken, the sooner will dairymen ben^fi' financially, and the better will it be for the reputation of our cheese. If we are able to supply the. British people with a cooler and milder-flavoured eheeso that suits the palates of the consumers, we will, in a very ehort time be able to secure at least Id per pound more for our ch^esa than unde-r existing conditions. When a. favourable temperature can be relied upon a =lic;l-tlv Foflrr che«=e can l>a made, which will enhanc° the value of our produce There is also tho important consideration of being able, under such a uniform system of curing, to safely retain more moisture in the curd during thn manufacturing process This. together with the ".iving n shrinkage, will permit of fnore cheese being made- from tho n<Pk. Another important consideration k that the la.our at th- f,-c-tory will be minimised, ps hiu-h ontrnl ( urine? rooms would almost cave t-lie laborr of one man at tho ordinary-sized factory where casing, branding, and tho curing of the, cheese has to receive attention. I am confident that such a method would add greatly to the value of our cheese, as it would ensure a clean. and tidy nppenrf.nc, freedom from mould, correct wcighinp: when properly cured, uniform casing, and neat brauwac*

The curing rooms would require to be superintended by a careful man, assisted by a. few smart assistants, to turn the cheese each day. The most important things in curing cheese are unifornv temperature, correct humidity, the turning of cheese every day, ventilation, and, if necessary, the spraying of the cheese with a solution of formalin at intervals to prevent mould. Iv support of what I have already said and written on the subject of co-operative curing rooms in New Zealand, I take the liberty- of quoting from a circular just received from. Professor James W. Robertson, Commissioner of Agriculture and Dairying for Canada, in which he describes what that country is doing to command the cheese trade in the British; markets. Professor Robertson, is" probably the greatest authority in North America, and he has done more than anyone else to encourage the dairy industry generally and to advance the value of Canadian dairy pioduets. The following ar* a few extracts from his letter with regard to the direction in which Canada is moving. These tracts will apply to a certain extent to New Zealand also:— Professor Robertson points out that the palate of the United Kingdom, like its weather, is more or les3 variable all the time. A dozen yeirs ago there was no cxpres3 objection to cheese characterised by a distinctly strong flavour; but the actual demand: there to-day is confined to cheese of mild flavour and soft body. The latter tlass of cheese cannot be produced tinder ordinary conditions of manufacture on a commercial scale, unless the temperature is kept at 65 degrees Fall, or under during the curing proeesp. In the principal cheese-producing districts in England — Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, etc., the average summer temperature is 61 degree? Pah., thus manifesting the imperativeness of controlling the temperature in Canadian curing rooms at least to that extent. The cool trans-Atlantic transportation problem was solved by the Dominion' p Department of Agriculture last season by the introduction of cooled air accommodation on ocean steamers, and for the first time it became practicable to ship in safety to the United Kingdom cheese of softer and richer body than has hitherto been possible. A profitable market awaits us across the Atlantic; the hitherto wide impassable gulf to safe transit has been permanently bridged, and the cure in every sense for Canada's present ailment in the cheese trade is at hand in an organised system of consolidated cheese-curing rooms. Will this innovation pay? Will the flame be worth the candle? The reply is obvious by comparison. The average price of summer made cheese from the best dairies in England and Scotland 'during the past two years has been from 2 cents to 4 cents per pound higher than the average price paid for summer cheese from the good factories in Canada. As Professor Robertson, the Dominion Commissioner of Agriculture and Dairying, pertinently points out. the curing of cheese can be carjied on successfully and economically at central consolidated curing rooms constructed to serve a number of factories in a district. That system would not only lead to gtfeat improvement in the quality, but it would make it possible to obtain a larger yield of cheese per 1001b of milk without lessening the value per pound of cheese. In fact, much softer cheese would fetch more'money per pound than the firmer and harder sorts which have been made under past and present conditions of curing, and past modes of transportation. Calculating the saving in shrinkage, the increased value per pound, and the larger quantity of cheese obtainable for 1001b of milk, the revenue from, milk at cheese factories, upon a reasonable assumption, can be increased by this improved method of curing by at least 20 per cent. The plan is to have a central consolidated curing room of sufficient capacity to handle cheese from about 10 factories, put up at some central place adjacent to a railway station. Under any circumstances, the cheeses have to b» taken from the factory to a railway fetation at some time, so that under this system they would be taken when only a day or two old, instead of being left in a warm curing room under unsuitable conditions during two to five weeks. This spring, four such consolidated curing rooms will be established in Canada, located respectively at Brockville, for Eastern Ontaria; at "Woodstock, for ■Western Ontario; and at St. Hyacinthe and Cowansville, in the province of Quebec. The immediate indirect benefit from the establishment of these central curing rooms is that it will impart to English importers who have been complaining and losing both money and customers by heated cheese an expectation of improvement in the quality euch as will fully restore confidence in the permanency of the Canadian trade with the old Homeland.

Mr Kmsella then referred to on© or two matters that had cropped up at the meeting of the day before, which he had been unable to attend. The letter read by Mr Reeves from Andrew Clement only went to show that on a brisk market it was impossible to obtain a good price for second-grade cheese. North Island shipments by the same boat have fetched a? much as 56s and 575. Besides, it was hardly fair to bring such letters before the meeting, for firms desirous of getting the trade of a particular factory would always try to make out that they could get the best price. He had received letters from Andrew Clement absolutely contradicting some of the statements made in the letter to Mr Rpeves.

In reply to a question from Mr Reeves, Mr Kinsella said that it was almost impostibl© to get two men who would judge a cheese identically in the same way, and that would account for the grading of the same cheese at the Invercargill and Dunedin shows differing by a point or a point and ahalf. Although Mr Thornton, the grader at the Bluff, was not a practical ohee=emaker, he was as good a .judg-e of clieese as any man in the colony. If the South Island men desired instruction he would endeavour to have a practical man stationed at the Bluff, although it was difficult to obtain a man who was well up in both butter and cheese making. At the same time, it was no argument azainst a grader that he was not a practical man. The three men who judged at Paris and at the World's Fair were not practical men, and yet were admittedly better judges than many practical men.

Mr J. R. Scott said that the testimony he received from London buyers was that there was a difference between first and Eecond grad© cheese of 2s per cwt. He had no fault to find with the grading, which v.03 thoroughly consistent. He thought, however, it would be well to have two grades, one for new and the other for old cheese. Cheese graded first, when kept in order to mature to suit the Australian and South African markets, deteriorated, and only got second grade, thus involving a loss to the shipper.

Mr Kinsella said the position was a diffisbK oa«» but it was not fight that &&£

cheese should be kept under the conditions prevailing in the Dunedin warehouses. Mr Bacon corroborated Mr Scott's remarks re the deterioration of cheese stored either, in the- factory or in- the warehouse in-Dunedin for Australian buyers.

"Mr Sawers, Edendale, said that the solution of the -whole difficulty was the adoption of the cold storage system and the establishment of a central cold storage depot. There would then be a great improvement in the flavour of the cheese, which would realise more money on the London market. — (Applause.) Another matter was the absence of any cold storage accommodation for the cheese exhibits at the show, which prevented it being the object lesson it ought to be. Mr Kinsella said that the matter of cold storage at the show was one which, the Dairy Association could take up with advantage, with a view to having it remedied. Mr Scott urged the advisability of having all cheese graded at the port of arrival as well as at the port of departure, with a view of obtaining data as to the best temperature on the voyage. Mr Kineella promised to bring the matter under the notice of the Department of Agriculture. Further discussion ensued on the question of temperature, impressed brands, and other matters, and 'the meeting closed with votes of thanks to Mr Kinsella and the chairman.