The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1888. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1938, 7 September 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1888. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

It is stated that several dairy factories j near Sydney have had to suspend operations m consequence of the drought, and this fact should spur on our dairy facj tory companies to still greater exertions m pushing an export trade m batter and cheese. When preserved milk is added to the list of products which can be turned out at our dairy factories a lull m good prices for butter or cheese could be utilised by giving increased attention to this branch of industry. Our cheese is finding its way to foreign markets gradually, and if only the best quality is sent it will soon assert itself. With the failure of Sydney dairy factories increased activity will be felt m those running m this colony to supply the demand. Hongkong;, San Francisco, Mauritius, and London, not to mention Melbourne and Sydney, are now buyers, J The result will probably be a stability m the price of dairy produce to which the eettler here has long been a stranger. To the dairy farmer the market has always been either a feast or a famine ; and it was impossible ever to keep butter, especially that made m private establishments, from the time of plenty to the time of dearth. Profeßsor Long's opinion, "that if, only the colonists knew how, they could compete m the Home markets against the world " we believe to be true. The "knowing how" is not so difficult if our factory managers are carefully trained m their work. The " Southland Times " says, truly enough, we can grow as good grass as any country m the world, and as 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," there is no reason whj our dairy produce should not top the English market — or no reason except our own ignorance or carelessness. How to make butter and cheese, but especially butter, and how to send it to market m the right way — this ought to be the aim of all our dairy farmers. Many of them are extremely ignorant m these respects, as the fact that so much of our butter fetches such a low price shows clearly enough. It is really disgraceful that tbe prices for this article should range, as the Agent-General says they do, from £8 12s to £1 8s per ewfc. We were not aware that any New Zealand butter had brought such a high figure as 172s per cwt, though we are all familiar with much lower quotations. But our dairying industry is yet only m its infancy, apd it is to be hoped that the expert whom thfi Agent-General is authorised to send out will manage to set it on its legs.