BUTTER FOR THE LONDON MARKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1722, 29 November 1887, Page 4

BUTTER FOR THE LONDON MARKET.

In these days of low values for wheat, barley, and otber cereals, farmers will be glad to learn that there is a good opening m the London market for butter. We learn from the " Sydney Mail " that m the first half of the year the Fresh Food and Ice Company being apprehensive that the supply of butter consequent upon the good season would be much m excess of the local demand, determined to send some butter to the care of their agents, Messrs Mort and Co. Accordingly, m June last, eight of Pond's enamelled boxes, each of which held half a hundredweight of butter, made at the Pioneer Factory, Kiama, were placed m the cold chamber of the Orient steamer Liguria. The principal object m shipping m June was to have the butter airive m London m the hot season, so that the keeping quality of the product should be properly tested. The butter arrived m excellent condition, and the Company have now, under date August . 19, the account sales and the following comments from their agents : — " The butter ex Liguria has turned out very well, and has been fortunate enough to oenefit m the rise of ios per cwt., which has recently taken place m consequence of the drought. The difference m price between summer and winter usually ranges from ios to" 12s per cwt, so that, if you elect to ship the stock you have on hand, you can count upon some ios over the prices now obtained, which were — 2 packages, 108s; 2, ioGs; 4, 100s per cwt., iespectively. You will observe by the account sales herein that the net landing weight shows iolb loss. In explanation, it is asserted the wood absorbs the brine, and accounts for the deficiency of a little over _lb per case, Mark the packages of future shipments with letters or numbers, and do not indicate the source of supply. Circular packages, although ordinarily used, are not tbe best for stowage. We think you can do no better than with the excellent square boxes such as this sample came m. The first two cases, sold at 108-, contained excellent butter, j .as sweet and sound as possible. The cheapest line was m equally good condition, but the flavor was .urnippy, indicating a different feed. Our experts are very emphatic that the butter if landed m same condition m the winter, will have a splendid result. The butter is good, sound, and well-made." Our -. contemporary goes on to observe that m London on the 15th of August the highest quotations for imported butter wsre :— Normandy, 1263 to 1325; Dutch, 1 1 6s to 1 20s. • , This information should, we think, stimulate our farmers to give more ,' attention- to the dairy. There is no reason that we can see why New • Zealand farmers, with thelatest improved appliances m the shape of cream separators and butter-workers, should not be able to turn out as good an article as that produced m Normandy, which caps the market. In fact, there is reason to believe that it would prove . superior to that imported thence about '■* the time our product would arrive, for instead of being fed, as the Normandy cows would be at the time, on turnips 1 and other roots, our cows would be luxuriating m the sweetest and most succulent of grasses. Our butler would reach the London market at the time when it is most bare of ihe primest qualities, and should realise from 130s to 140s per cwt, from November to April, bolh months inclusive. We think the subject well worthy of due ; consideration ou the part of our farmers.