BUTTER AND CHEESE. Interview with Mr M'Gowan.

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 26

BUTTER AND CHEESE. Interview with Mr M'Gowan.

Interviewed yesterday by one of our reporters, Mr D. J. M'Gowan, Acting Dairy Commissioner, expressed his opinion on the -butter and cheese in the factory classes ac follows : —

Tho exhibits of ohe-we, as a whole, were highly commendable, being undoubtedly t*ie •test ever staged at any show in the colony. They would do credit to any country. The several classes wero -hcII contested. The most distinctive feature m connection with tho exhibits was the large number of entries that this year score co high and are euch closo competitors for first place. Although perhaps the highest spore is not beyond last year's, Rtill there i, a much larger number of really choice cheese contained in the several exhibits. The almost entire absence of lowscoring exhibits evidences the fact that more managers are taking a deeper interest in their work and have succeeded in turning .out superior exhibit?. The high and uniform quality of the majority of tho exhibits rendered it extremely difficult for tho judges to determine the awards This difficulty was accentuated by several factories having two or more entries in one class, and in some cases cheese shown in different entries were evidently from t'_e same vat. Taken altogether, tho exhibit of cheese is one of which New Zealand dairymen may well be proud.

The exhibit of butter in all elates was very satisfactory considering the fact tliat it was subjected to similar treatment to that which it rece-ives during exportation to the Homo Country. It, of course, cud not present the same neat and tidy appeaiar.ee that butter doe-3 on arrival at our grading store?, nor wan the flavour as fre=h as in new-made butter. Having it subjected to the treatment above mentioned enables us to more accurately estimate i^ true keeping qualities, and ensures us being judged o-i its merits. The butter had been thoroughly defrosted, and was m a satisfactory condition for judging. The flavours gene- ! rally were fairly clean. Seme, however, had a slight tendency to staleness. which was, no doubt, due to insufficient ripening of the cream from which the butter was rpade. Slight woody flavours were noticeable an some of the exhibits. In make, most of tho butter showed careful manufacture, i>eing close and waxy and free from excessive moisture. The principal defect notioeablo in make was an indication of overworking, which renders a butter salvy in texture and militates against the keeping qualiiCos. The exhibits from the North Isiand fac- . tories did not open up as well as expected. | This is undoubtedly largely accounted for by the unfavourable conditions to which this , butter had 'been subjected between tho time . of its leaving the factory and anUval here.