THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1694, 25 October 1887, Page 4

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

• +~ : | As intimated m our last we resume the consideration of the Report on the Dairy Industry of New Zealand from the point at which we left off. The Report, after strongly insisting on the necessity for butter-makers turning their attention to the use of the cream separator and giving descriptions of, and details concerning, the various machines for this purpose now m use, as well as of others that have not yet been exhibited at any o{ the great Agricultural and Pastotal Shows, gives some startling instances of Ike bene-, fictal results accruing from their use. These will be best understood if we quote the text of the Report on the subject, which is as follows : — " The dairymen m New South Wales have, within the last year or two, recognised the necessity and advantage of using the separator, and have revolutionised ihe butter mat ket m Sydney as regards the price paid for good quality. During the last winter when butter was selling at good prices, factory-made — butter made from separated cream — was selling at - s<l per pound above the price 'obtained for special brands obtained from, private dairies of established •reputation,' and from 8d to is above the best New Zealand, and the factory made butter has kept Its advantage v ever since." This statement will, no doubt, be received with a little misgiving by our fanners ; but as the Report is compiled from authentic in> formation, and Government is responsible for the statements therein contained, any doubt as to their accuracy may be dismissed at once. Still it seems hard to believe that butter made by a perfect process should realise from 8d to is per pound above 1 best New Zealand.' It must, however, be borne m mind that the season alluded to, was, ii not an exceptional one, certainly one out of the ordinary run of seasons, owing to the protracted drought all through New South Wales, which bad previously prevailed. On he whole we think it is to be regretted *hat the Report does not give the relative prices for the descriptions named, inasmuch as they would have carried conviction with them, being capable of easy confirmation or refutation. This would also have greatly strengthened the argument adduced m favor of the advantage to be gained from producing the best article. We are sorry to know, from experience gained during the last thirty years, that fully 90 per cent of the butter made m this colony is very far from, even approaching to, this class. As our object m the present series of articles is pretty much the same as that of the Report under consideration — namely, m the interest of the farmers, to show how much benefit they will derive from paying more attention to the chief production of the dairy — one, as we have already said, that is destined, m the near future, to form their chief source of revenue — they will, we feel certain, excuse us, if m the course of oui remarks, we should feel compelled to . ti .1 i.i.n, « «i

tell tbem some unpaiataoie trutns.