THE RENNET SUPPLY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 961, 10 March 1917, Page 2

THE RENNET SUPPLY.

COLLECTING OF CALVES' VELLS

Notices of the Department's campaign, conducted by the Dairy and Live Stock Divisions for promoting the production of rennet for cheese manufacture in the Dominion, have, appeared from time to time recently in the "Journal of Agriculture." For the purpose of further assisting the dairy, industry, represented in this instance by the New Zealand Co-operative Rennet Company, the department arranged to receive in Wellington the calve's veils saved "Throughout the country, and to dress, class, and re-pack them for export. This work was in charge of Mr 11. Mnnro, Inspector of Stock, Wellington, who also initiated (under instructions from the Director of the, Live Stock Division) the series of praclical demonstrations of the saving of '•ells, which were carried out in the dairying districts. The following note '>n the season's results is given bv Mr Munro: — As a result of the season's oporarmus approximately 25,000 air dried veils have been secured. Of this number 23.000 have been exported to England ''or the manufaidure of rennet for the supply of the Dominion, about 1000 have been used for the manufacture of rennet locally, and the remaining 1000 oieprise those now on hand am! some :<ill to come forward'. hi the early '■art of the season .a large percentage ■P the veils came i () hand in bad conOtion, being badly dressed, damp and '■•addv. and retpiirinff a lot of attention ' o put, them in a condition suitable for '■".■nort. A number were also dn"in<rod nd discoloured, as a result, of the ■ Ives not being bled and the stoma.dis ■■)' .being removed immediately aftci '.a lighter. As the season advanced, ' nwove.r ,a steady improvement was anarent, and now at the end of the "ason it can be stated that, while there is still ample room for further improve-

incuts, the average condition or the veils secured ha.s exceeded expectations* Tho quality of veils received from different dairy factories lias varied considerably. While lots received from some factories have been consistently good, those from others have been just as consistently indifferent or bad. ' This may possibly be accounted for by the varying amount of interest, taken in the matter by the 'different managers and directorates. lit the'opinion of the writer, damage to the veils has been due principally to 'the-following causes: ,(!•) Parcelling or packing the' veils before .they are sufficiently dry; (2) permitting them to get damp in the cases after packing—generally while in transit; (:() exposing them to the sun for drying; (4) applying salt as a safeguard against Hies (this prevents : tlipiii from/drying and otherwise damages them.; (;">•) neglecting to bleed the calves,, and neglecting to remove (he stomachs immediately after slaughter; (4) storing the veils at the factories, and forwarding them to Wellington in package's as received from farmers. The latter practice has been responsible for more damage than any other cause. Factories have repeatedly made consignments composed of small packages tightlv wrapped and tied. These parrels had apparently neither been examined nor counted' 'after their receipt from the farmers. In many cases they had been thus parcelled while still .lamp, and on arrival in Wellington they were found to be mouldy and discoloured, and in some cases in a state of putrefaction and quite useless. A small percentage, of veils from new-born calves have come forward. These are not valued, and should be rejected at. the factories. Calves should, not be killed for rennet purposes under four davs old.

While the average.quality of the veils ha's exceeded expectations, the number secured' (which probably does not represent more than 9 per cent, of the calves slaughtered during the season) is dis'appointing to all who have taken an neti-vc interest in nroinoting the manufacture of rennet, as a new industry for the .Dominion. Now that the farmers know what is required, however, better results may be . reasonably expected -luring the coining season. It would indeed be an anomaly if, while relying on Outside sources, which are subject to 'interruption, those directly interested in cheese manufacture should continue to permit the waste of raw material available locally for the manufacture of a commodity so essentia] to their industry as rennet. .

Mr T. C. Brash, secretary to the Kennet. Company, has received advice that the first shipment of veils Under the seheine here dealt with arrived in London in good condition.