The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1888. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1931, 29 August 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1888. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Sir Dillon Bell, Agent-General has sent to the Government some interesting notes and correspondence relative to the dairy industry, which when they are widely distributed will be of much benefit to cheesemakers. Full particulars are not yet to hand, but" m some particulars supplied a Southern contemporary Sir Dillon Bell remarks ; — "J have been greatly indebted to Professor Long, under whose guidance some of the New Zealand factories are, now being worked, to the b igh Commissioner for Canada, and to Mr Lynch, the Canadian author of " Scientific Dairy Practice," as to what is being done m the Dominion, to my colleagues the Agents- General for what is being done m Australia, to several large importers as to the results of shipments of dairy produce lately made from the colony, and to many others. The difficulty was how to choose out of a great number and variety of statements and reports what would be of the most interest to New Zealand, and above all to put it into anything like readable shape. When I came to apply the information, so as to be of any good m way of advice for the future, I saw that I was really incompetent to do it ; so I appealed to Professor Long to help me, and to write a paper himself with special reference to the wants and capabilities of New Zealand. lam very glad to say he has consented to do so. He has for some time past taken a great interest m the establishment of the dairy industry m New Zealand, and of all men he is the one best able to advise us, because, on the great question of foreign competition, which we have to meet, no one has ever approached him m the extent and value of his investigations. In his last letter to me he says : " In my special duty of dairy farming I have had not only to master the scientific problems which are within our grasp, but, for instance, to make cheese, with my own hands. Dairy work at Home and at the Royal College (Cirenceßter) has made me familiar alike with grasses, soils, manures, and the whole equipment and produce of the dairy. I only say this because I take & pride m being something more than a * science man,' and m being one whose practice is copied by his farmer neighbors. Cheese iB now being made m New Zealand at some of the companies' factories under my advice ; and I also went fully into the condensed milk question for them, yisitjng Switzerland and Italy to see the factories there, most of which are familiar to mo. lam quite sure that if only colonists knew how, they could compete m our markets against the world, and I say this with a incimate knowledge of the countries which now hold these markets." Sir Dillon then goes on to say : It appeared to me m course of correspondence with Mr Long that it would be of immense advantage to our dairy farmers if before a permanent teacher was sent put, £he professor could be induced to visit the colppy tp see for himself what its .capabilities m dairy farming are, to give lectures m. the cfrief dairying districts, and to advise you on the spot as to what it would be best to do to promote the industry as New Zealand is essentially a dairy country par excellence. As Professor Arnold (Connell University) says, grass is the basis of food for the dairy, and no system of feeding yet devised can equal grass feeding for the production of butter. A country, therefore, which can grow English grasses as New Zealand docs, and a country where cattle can thrive m the open air &J1 the year rpund, may well rival England and JEurope jn producing the finest butter a»d cheese m t^e world, ac well as gain top price for it fa tbil

market. Last year m one part o Munster a farmer was getting £6 18s a cwt for his butter ; and m Normandy two brothers were sending butter to Paris, for which they got sfr a lb. There is no reason iv the world why our dairy farmers should be sending butter to England which varies m price from £8 12s to £1 8s per cwt, as shown m recent shipments, — if as Professor Long says, they only know how "to send it m the right way." Nor is there any end to the profitable extension of dairy industry by our small farmers, especially having regard to the differing times of summer and winter m the two hemispheres, and their effect on the winter supply m London, if only scientific teaching were brought to their doors as it is to the farmers' doors m Sweden and Denmark; How to do this best m the most economical way, and under the varying conditions of soil and climate m each island lies the success of the problem. The advice of a famous exporter on the spot I venture to think would be of incalculable value. .