H.—29

26

Table showing the Grading-points scored by the Creamery Butter and Cheese graded throughout New Zealand for the Year ended 31st March, 1921.

Charge for Grading Butler and Cheese. A charge for services rendered by this Division in the grading of butter and cheese has been under consideration on various occasions. In the earlier days of the industry the work of grading was undertaken as a national duty for tho purpose of improving the quality of butter and cheese manufactured for export. The developments since then bear testimony to the wisdom of the plan and methods adopted. Keener competition evidenced in the disposal of butter and cheese for export caused buyers to give more attention to quality. The grade-note was accepted in lieu of a buyer's examination, and this has grown into a custom which saves buyers considerable expense as compared with present practice in North America and elsewhere. Tho grade-note has therefore practically become a commercial document. The costs relating to tho grading of dairy-produce and the instruction at dairy factories have boon increasing during recent years owing to the growth of the industry and the payment of higher salaries. It was therefore deemed necessary to institute as from the Ist January, 1921, a charge for the services rendered, and a fee of Id. per box of butter and ljd. per crate of cheese was authorized. It is only fair to state that no complaint has yet been heard from any dairy company against such fee being charged. Casein. The increase in the production of butter was accompanied as a consequence by an increase in skim-milk. There was a greater inclination to convert the latter into casein, and the output of this product showed a very considerable increase, the export at 1,760 tons denoting an increase of some 75 per cent. Both lactic and rennet casein were manufactured, a large proportion of the latter being produced toward the end of the season. This variety improved somewhat in quality this season, but it is considered there is still a good deal of room for improvement before the New Zealand article attains to the degree of excellence maintained by French rennet casein, which supplies the highest class at

Bu ;ter. Choose. Grading-points. Percentage of Total. Percentage of Total. Number of Boxes. Number of Crates. 761 78" 781 79 801 81 81* 82" 82* 83 83* 84 84* 85 85* 86 861 87 88 881 89 891 90 80* 91 91* 92 921 93 931 94 941 95" 95* 96 339 304 43 15 701 266 246 1,146 895 5,037 3,634 12,812 17,266 28,104 20,415 465 19,070 31,459 56,167 54,479 67,660 99,405 122,665 147,087 183,992 162,399 106,601 65,564 39,865 18,359 10,815 2,471 819 0-0264 0-0237 0-0033 0-0011 0-0547 0-0207 0-0192 0-0894 0-0698 0 3933 0-2837 1-0004 1-3483 2-1946 1-5942 0 0363 1-4891 2-4566 4-3861 4-2542 5-2836 7-7625 9-5789 11-4861 . 14-3680 12-6818 8-3245 5-1199 3-1130 1-4336 0-8445 0-1929 0-0639 435 433 20 148 1,112 1,568 1,013 2,251 6,035 4,553 9,704 10,253 19,284 8,766 71 33,826 42,169 81,847 99,555 125,088 116,632 102,872 76,851 62,183 27,113 17,798 7,007 2,368 100 140 0-0505 0-0502 0-0023 0-0171 0-1291 0-1820 0-1176 0-2613 0-7007 0-5286 1-1268 1-1905 2-2392 1-0177 0-0082 3-9277 4-8965 9-5038 11-5600 14-5249 13-5430 11-9452 8-9237 7-2205 3-1482 2-0666 0-8136 0-2749 0-0116 0 0162