DAIRYING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume C, Issue 15304, 25 March 1914, Page 5

DAIRYING IN NEW ZEALAND.

AN EXPERT'S VIEWS. SOUTH AFRICAN VISITOR. Ml- E. 0. Challis, Superintendent of Dairying for the Union Government' of South "Africa, is conducting an import, ant mission in Australia and New Zealand, studying tho various aspects of the dairying industry of those two countries, with a, view of reporting to the Union Government. In a Wellington interview ho summarised his impressions of dairying in New Zealand, and they are, on the whole, very flattering, and place us in favourable comparison with Australia. DIRTY MILKING MACHINES. But there is one fly in the oiutmnet. J erhaps it 13 well to examine this first, though it was not placed in that order by Mr Chalhs. It will be remembered that some time ago complaints weve made m London as to the condition of some of the New Zealand cheese. As a result of investigations bv tho Director ok Dairying (Mr D. Caddie) and his staff it was held that the cause of the trouble was failure adequatelv to clean milking machines.- Many of these machines were examined, and a very large number of thein—.in fact, a huge proportion—were found to bo in an unclean state. A circular of warning was issued, and it was thought that the evil had been remedied, but, judging by the experience of Mr Challis, there is still room for improvement. Questioned as to cur cheese factories, Mr Challis praised their methods. He had examined a large number of cheeses which were partly matured, and generally speaking, they were well made and of good quality. "At tho same time," ho added, "I noticed in a number of cheeses that the flavour wasnoii© too clean, and posibly this was due to the use of milking machines which in themselves are quite good, but if not kept strictly clean, are a source of very great evil." HOME SEPARATION. Passing on, he said there were various details of our cheese industry which South Africa could copy with verv beneficial results. In New Zealand" therehas' been some difference of opinion as to"! merits of home separation;, but J 111 remote and badly-roaded districts homo separation of the cream has had I perforce to be adopted. In South Africa, owing to its distances and scattered population, home separation is almost universal. A considerable part of the business of Mr_ Challis is to find what' Australia and New Zealand can teach in home separation, and therefore he has toured North Auckland —well known as the roadltess north—where that system of dairying : . spec ally flourishes. /He says that on one with technical experience would, venture to deny that the creamery or skimming station system is the ideal one. but the geographical and other conditions of South Africa compel home separation. Home-separated cream if frequently delivered, produces under sanitary conditions a. very sound butter. The difficulty is to induce the supplier to send in his cream as fast as possible, and to observe the ordinary rules which apply to the ripening of cream before it arrives at the central factory. A weakness of the South African system, as compared with our?., is the nonpasteivrisation of cream. He is conI vinceel that South Africa will have J to adopt pnstcuration on lines very similar to those followed in this couni trv.

A LESSON FOE NEW ZEALAND. New Zealand, however, has something to learn with regard to the grading of cream at the factory. If this system were established, the factory, instead of paying one price for nil sorts of cream, would be able to pay the careful supplier more than the careless one, and thus give an incentive to improvement, Grading of cream at the factory was adopted in South Africa after some opposition, and he was sure it would oventually be adopted in this country. After referring to South Africa's drawbacks in the way of droughts and cattle diseases, for which latter he recommends compulsory dipping. Mr Chaliis went on to say that Australian and New Zealand pastures were far superior to the natural grasses of South Africa, which in many instances have very little feeding value, and would he replaced by sown grasses.

HERDS COMPARED. In piirebred herds South Africa compared favourably with New Zealand especially m Holsteins. When grade herds were compared, the South African were very much inferior. "lu. milk production," he added, the somewhat iniquitous method of allowing a calf to suckle a cow while it is being milked is extremely prevalent in South Africa, and I was most agreeably surprised to find that this practice does not exist in Australia and Now Zealand." Asked to compare this Dominion and the Oommoi3.wea.lth, the. South African said:—"Generally sneakinc. I consider that New Zealand has a better climate than Australia, but if Australia had more rainfall she. would undoubtedly be one of the greatest dairying countries in the world." Mr Challis went through the Boer war, and knows his South Africa intimately. He pays a special tribute to the kindness shown by tho Director of Dairying (Mr D. Cnddie), whose assistance has enabled him to make a very thorough investigation.