The Waikato Time AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, SEPT. 27, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2530, 27 September 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Time AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, SEPT. 27, 1888.

Some very interesting particulars relating to the Dairy Industry are to he found in a Parliamentary Paper, containing correspondence on the subject from the AgentGeneral. Sir F. Dillon Bell is very anxious that arrangements be made for a visit to the colony by Professor Long, of the Royal Agricultural college at Cirencester, who is a recognised .authority on practical dairying upon modern principles. There are many factories already established in New Zealand working under Professor Long's advice, and he himself takes a great personal interest in the progress of the industry in the colony. He tells the Agent-General that '' he is quite sure that, if only the colonists know how, they could compote in our (English) markets against the world, and ho says this with an intimate knowledge of the countries which now hold these markets." Sir Dillon Bell says : —

There is 110 reason in the world why our dairy farmers should be sending butter to England, which varies in price from £5 12s to £1 Ss per cwt., as shown in recent shipments, if, as Professor Long says, " they only knew how " to send it the right way. Nor is there any end to the profitable extension of the dairy industry by our small farmers, especially having regard to the differing times of summer and winter in the two hemispheres and their effect on the winter supply in London, if only scientific teaching were brought to their doors, as it is to the fanners' doors in Sweden and Denmark. How to do this in the best and most economical way, and meet the varying conditions of soil and climate in the two Islands, is the essence of the problem; and the advice of a famous expert on the spot would, I venture to think, be of incalculable value. Yaluablo information is then furnished, and statistics given, of the vast extent to which the trade in dairy products lias grown between Great Britain and foreign countries. In live years, from Ist January 1883 to 31st December 1887, nearly 12,424,000 cwts of butter and 9,124,000 cwts of cheese were imported into the United Kingdom, of the aggregate value of over £80,000,000 sterling. In 1887 the imports of butter were 1,514,905 cwts,, of the value of £8,016,769 ; Denmark and France being the largest suppliers. The imports of buttcriue were 1,273,095 cwts., of the value of £3,869,948, nearly the whole of this commodity coming from Holland. The imports of cheese in the same year were 1,534,467 cwts. of the viilue £4,505,937 ; Canada and the United States being by far the largest producers, with Holland a good third. Thus in one year there was imported into Great Britain dairy produce to the extent of 4,622,467 cwts. reaching the enormous value of ,£16,395,654. We gain an idea from these facts of the immense demands that exist in the Old Country for the products of the dairy farm, and what an unlimited field lays before the industrious settlers of this colony for winning a profitable place in those great and absorbent markets. The AgentGeneral's report also states : — The Normandy butter is most in fashion at present in England, owing to a number of things that combine to give it peculiar excellence. . . . Cheap labour, with incessant carefulness and patient work by the dairymaids and peasants, combine to produce a result which cannot be matched in this country. The secret of this foreign success is that a butter of exactly the same colour, flavour, and texture is turned out in great quantities, and can be depended upon for everconstant uniformity all the year round. . . it is to a great extent mixed up by powerful butter-workers at the large factories, and blended into the uniform character that is its greatest feature, A single house in London pays to_ a single Normandy factory more than £30,000 a month. Professor Long considers the system in Normandy not only simple, but perfect. The success of the industry in Denmark is due to the spread of technical education and its numerous agricultural and dairyfarming schools. The manufacture of butter in that country, Sir F. IX Bell states, is on the " creameries " system. In Sweden the Government provide' travelling teachers,who visit the farms and instruct the dairy-maids and show the farmers how to produce the richest milk, as well as in all the other practical parts of the scientific work of the dairy, besides the instruction given in colleges. Germany has a dozen agricultural colleges and sixteen schools; France has four colleges and over fifty schools ; Belgium and Italy also provide technical education in agriculture and dairying at the cost of the State. The factory system is now almost universal. In Canada cheese is entirely factorymade ; the produce of the Dominion excels even the American in the markets of the United Kingdom, and has an annual export very little behind that of the United States, both in quantity and value. Sir Dillon Bell says also that the consumption of foreign butter and cheese is increasing so much in England that foreign dealers are starting shops in all the large towns, and their uheese, butter, and condensed milk are being sold in every village. Professor Long recommends the English dairy-farmers to meet this by combination amongst themselves, and opening shops next door to the foreigners. The push and energy of the foreign producers in the English markets -which should be our own "by divine right," ought to instil a similar spirit into the New Zealanders, if they wish to gain possession of tlieai. They must manufacture the best articlc exactly suited to the tastes of the British consumers, clean and excellently packed for the ocean transit. They must also make themselves masters of the latest improved methods in the whole range of dairying. They

must also make up their minds to adopt tlio co-nperativo principle, us tlii! kev to iibsoluto success. Cooperation is rapidly becoming rul iii Australi:i, where it is found to ho the only method liy which ihu industry can he most satisfactorily purs ued. The following extract from the Country Journal explains the plan that lias oWtaiued favour in one: of the other colonies :—•

In New South Wales factories are cooperative ; the milk is not bought at the factory. The supplier gets his proportion of the'income, less working expenses and interest on capital. The bulk of the ■shareholders must be those who supply the inili; or cream. A proportion of the .shares, if available, may, with great advantage to the rest of the shareholders, be taken up by business men, whose knowledge of business would materially assist the management. Such shareholders should b'j prepared to take a low rate of interest, more with a view of helping on a good cause, than from any hope of big dividends. The interest paid to such, or to any shareholder, must not exceed a limit fixed upon from time to time by the directors, such interest being a charge upon the earnings of the factory after payment of all working expenses, the surplus to be divided pro rata amongst the suppliers of milk or cream.