TARANAKI BUTTER.

Patea Mail, Volume XXIX, 29 November 1907, Page 2

TARANAKI BUTTER.

PALLING OFF IN FLAVOR

A representative of The Dominion has been informed that “ Taranaki grading falls far short of last season’s average. The Dairy Department officers are making strenuous efforts, and covering the country at break-neck pace in order to effect an improvement. The main cause is said to be dircy milk and the factories themselves are not held blameless in the matter.”

In conversation with an authority, a representative of the Patea Press learnt that though the statements that the Dairy Departments officials were covering the country at break-neck pace were considerably exaggerated, yet it was undoubtedly a fact that there had been a falling off in the quality cf dairy produce. Asked as to the causes our informant said the bad spring combined with the fact that the cattle got in low condition affected the milk supply. Then in a large number of cases the stockyards became quagmires “ and that expresses a he added significantly. But one ' the main factors he said, was the old, old story of insufficient care in hand** ling the milk. The labor problem also entered into the question. The dairy farmer a few years ago milked say 30 cows, and only his family were employed. These were all under his control and he could enforce cleanliness. Now he has made a bit of money and he increased his operations. Sometimes he employs men, or more frequently he puts men on to milk on shares. They are not so careful as the family. The milking machines were going to give a lot of trouble through the people not taking enough care with them, and factory managers said that some of the very worst milk they received was coming from farmers who had installed machines. “ But under* stand me,” he said, “it is not the machine that is to blame, it is the people. There are a lot of people who find it too much trouble to or won’t keep their buckets clean; how can you expect them to keep a complicatod piece of machinery like a milking machine clean?” Our representative gathered that the principal trouble has been with the flavor of the dairy produce—which is of the greatest commercial value. Cheese was showing a slight improvement. “ How can this be remedied ?” asked our representative. “ The solution of the problem rests with the farmers themselves in the one word * answer. “But lam afraid,” continued the speaker, “ you will not see this accomplished until the lean years come.”