H.—29.

Dried Butterfat. —Experimental work on the production of dried butterfat was continued at the Dairy Research Institute daring the year. The shipment by the Marketing Department of sample lots resulted in orders being received from the British Government for 200 tons of first- and second-grade creamery arid whey butter, 600 tons in all, which was prepared in the experimental plant at the Institute. Most of this fat has now been shipped as ordinary cargo and arrangements have been entered into for orders totalling 10,000 tons for shipment to Great Britain. While it is not suggested that this product will take the place of butter in normal times, it will, no doubt, be found to be a useful substitute for it in certain directions under war conditions, and it may even continue to find favour for some purposes after the conclusion of hostilities. Started in the first instance as an outlet for second-grade creamery and all whey butter, which was not included in the quantity sold to the British Government, it will, if produced in the quantities named, give a considerable amount of relief to cold storage and refrigerated shipping space. A factory with an estimated capacity of 10,000 tons per year is at present being equipped at Auckland and will be controlled by the Internal Division of the Marketing Department for the Export Division. Regrading of Butter and Cheese after Storage.-—For the purpose of checking up the effects of long storage, 185 churnings of butter and 140 vats 1 of cheese were regraded at various grading stores after having been kept for a lengthy period. Check Testing of Milk and Cream Samples.—Officers of the Division checked the factory testing of milk and cream on 819 occasions, as compared with 1,180 check tests In 1940-41. Farm Dairy Instruction.—Reduced staff has made difficult the carrying-on of this work to the extent considered desirable. Programmes have been re-adjusted so tfyat the more urgent cases could be dealt with and the general service maintained as far as possible. The unavoidable reduction in the number of inspections carried out has emphasized the necessity for a strict farm dairy instruction service, and there is more than a suspicion that the real origin of many faults attributed to feed flavours and other causes is to be found in the milking-shed. During the year 1,230 new milking-sheds have been built and 1,345 sheds substantially reconstructed. Inspection of Milking-machines and Separators.—During the past financial year 2,856 milking-machine installations were made, as compared with 3,046 during the previous twelve months. Prohibiting the replacement of farm separators without the prior approval of a responsible officer of the Division has been continued, while provision for extending this restriction to milking-machines and milking-machine rubberware is under discussion. Dairy-factory Managers' Registration Bo):ird.—The Board dealt with 70 applications for registration, 48 certificates being granted. There are now 774 certificated managers on the register. Inspection of New Zealand Dairy-produce in Britain.—This work has been continued by Mr. F. 11. Taylor with the assistance of Mr. G. 'V. Were. Routine examinations were carried out where possible, and special examinations related principally to experiments connected with the Carriage of produce, more particularly cheese at higher temperatures than those considered normal in peacetime, and to butter-boxes designed with the object of saving shipping space and wood or finding a substitute for wood. Certain types of fibre-board containers for butter have shown promise. Messrs. Taylor and Were have also been ,able to render assistance to the British Ministry of Food and through other avenues linked up with Britain's wartime requirements of butter and cheese. Dairy Laboratory, Wallaceville.— I The principal bacteriological work related to starters for cheesemaking, bacterial count of butter, cream and buttermilk samples, and the bacteriological testing of water samples. Chemical work related mainly to copper content of butter, " oiling-off" of milk samples, chemical tests of dairy-factory watersupplies, and investigation of cleanser mixtures. Legislation.—An amendment to the Dairy-produce Regulations 1938 was brought into operation towards the end of the present financial year, the main purpose of which varies the method of weighing, testing, and recording the weight and test for butterfat content of milk or cream delivered for the manufacture of dairy-produce in order to ensure that, as far as possible, suppliers to dairy-factories are credited with and paid for all the butterfat contained in supplies so delivered. Certificate-of-record and Government Official Herd-testing.—First-class certifieates-of-record issued during the calendar year 1941 numbered 550, as compared with 499 in 1940, 460 cows being in the yearly test division and the remaining 90 in the 305-day division. The average production represented by first-class certificates in the yearly division was 525-68 lb. fat, a decrease of 923 lb. over the 1940 figure of 534 91 lb. fat. An increase in average production was shown in the 305-day division, the average production represented by the 90 first-class certificates issued in this division being 459-82 lb. fat, as compared with 440-23 lb. fat for 68 certificates issued during 1940. Second-class certificates issued in both divisions during 1941 number 99, as compared with 80 for the previous calendar year. The number of cows tested under the Government official herd-test during the year was 3,137, as compared with 2,797 for the preceding period. The number of breeders who tested cows under the C.O.R. system during the year was 320, of whom 257 tested cows under the Government official herd-test. The corresponding figures for 1940 were 280 and 230 respectively. Association own-sample testing was carried out for 13 small herds in 3 districts, the number of cows beinar 196.

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