NEW ZEALAND CHEESE MAKING.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1931, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND CHEESE MAKING.

(To the Editor).

Sir,—l have read with some dismay under the heading of “New Zealand Cheese-making” in current issues of the Taranaki Press soins caustic criticjstn of our methods- of cheese-making by Mrs. Margaret T. Harrison, N.DJJ., 8.D.F.A., Dip. Mrs. Harrison is “trailing her coat,” and being the son of an Irishman she must pardon me if I triead on the tail of it. Her story is an old one just broken out in. a fresh place. We have had. men from dairy institutes, agricultural colleges, dairy research schools, as well as Irish, buttermakers, arid Tipperary cheese -makers, inducing students and professors themselves, all with credentials long enough to endow them with the privilege of criticising our allegedly ignoraht, unshaven cheese-rtiakers, arid like their more modern champion of wisdom, they have been “big noised” during the opening pages of their boot of knowledge, but seem to fade into thin air when asked to show' us how it is all done. We are still crying; “come over to Macedonia and help us.” It is regrettable that Mrs. HarrisOn did not have an interview with Professor Riddet before rushing into print. Our cheese industry to-day pins its faith on the Director of the Dairy Research Institute and his able staff at Massey College, recognising also the invaluable services given by Mr. P. O. Veale. of Hawera Laboratories. Having regard to the latent difficulties under wfiich our cheese-makers are labouring, the Dairy Research Institute under, the able directorship of Professor Riddet lias been concentrating on cheese problems, cause and effect, during the greater part of the last two years. Progress his been slow, and it is fortunate that Professor Riddet inherits a balanced measure of that Scotch tradition— reticence in the absence of authentic facts. ' • . I have read with interest every article appearing in your columns about cheese quality, sorne of which have been sound and constructive, others less valuable, but I have considered it was not worth while challenging any of them. Air unwarranted atack upon our factory agers,' however, is another matter, and Mrs. Harrison sorely displays her lack of wisdom in arriving at such conclusions without a wider investigation of facts. It may be that Mrs. Harrison acts, on the principle that instinct is better than misguided reason, but it is well to balance the Scales of instinct with an even weight of discretion. I have no desire to enter into a controversy regarding tlie details of the method of butter or cheese-making In New Zealand, although I have a whole lot of data at my disposal,- practical experien e included. It is sufficient to say that our cheese-makers of New Zealand in : their knowledge of the art, their interest and care in its application in all-departments, are .men on the average who can hold' their own with any cheese-making country in the world, the urishaven ones thrown in, and there is no section of the community, that can dispute that fact. It is certain that it Mrs. Harrison starts wading out into our cheese-making problems she will find herself well out of her depth regardless of her many credentials, and it may fall to the lot Of some of ouf unshaven brothers to coriie to her rescue. —I am, etc., J. MURRAY, Dominion secretary, New i Zealand Dairy Factory Managers’ Association. Incorporated. New Plymouth, February 6, 1931.