DAIRY PRODUCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1941, 11 September 1888, Page 3

DAIRY PRODUCE.

Although of late years, owing to the unsatisfactorily low prices which have ruled for wool, frozen meat, and grain — especially the latter — somewhat more attention has been devoted to the production of butter and cheese, we are firmly persuaded that not one tithe has been done in this direction of what should be done. We have, it is true, of late years, established dairy factories, or as they are termed in America creameries, for the manufacture of these articles on the most approved method, but most of these are in the North Island, and taking the whole of the colony together, there is room for twenty such factories for every one that exists. There is no country in the world better Buitod to this industry than is New Zealand, and it is scarcely possible to set a limit to the expansion of which it is capable, if properly conducted. And it can only be properly conducted by the co operative method, that is to say by the factory system. An enormous export trade, at remunerative prices, awaits only energy and enterprise in this direction, for, given that the quality of the manufactured article is prime, | and the arrangements for packing and transportation are perfect, and an illimitable market is open at paying rates. It is surprising to look up the returns of the dairy produce export of •the United States which total up to figures which throw those of the cereal produce into the shade, and enormous as that export is it commands a ready market, principally in the United Kingdom. But Holland, and other oountries also, pour in their butter and cheese into the same market, and still the demand is ample, and there is plenty of room for all we can supply. But if we are to take advantage of this opportunity, we must bo prepared to send articles of first excellence and articles whose uniformity and evenness of quality can be depended upon. To send inferior butter or gheese is to incur certain loss. For example, we saw the other day in Timaru account sales of a small parcel of iuferior butter which only brought 46s a cwt. in London (under 5d per lb) from which of course all expenses had to be deducted, leaving a, mere bagatelle to the shipper. Had itjbeen first-class probably considerably more than double that i figure would have been the result, and be it remembered, too, that inferior samples sent Home soon give to New Zealand a doubtful name, and tend to keep down the price even when the article is good. Factory bufter or cheese can be shipped in large parcels of even quality, and none should be shipped Home that ib not really prime. By that course the brand of the factory would soon be recognised as a. guarantee ot excellence, and the highest range of the m.arket would always be secured, That buyers at HoniQ are beginning to look to this colony as a promising souroe of supply is evident from the fact, telegraphed from Wellington on Tuesday last, of the arrival by the Tanui of Mr E. Meadows, the representative of a London firm, for the purpose of making arrangements to procure New Zealand dairy produce. That gentleman, we are told, speaks highly of the capabilities of the colony, but says w, e are throwing i away our opportunities by not using • them to advantage. Butter a.nd cheese i would sell well if proper attention were 1 paid to uniformity in making and pack- ] t ing. There is an unlimited market foi [ butter of good quality ; and one of the . largest buyers in Montreal says we dc f not know what a chance we are losing i of putting New Zealand on the same \ footing as Canada and the States.

3 "> f, I I .w. It appears from the decision of Mi Beethara> R.M., at Christohuroh, that i magistrate has no jurisdiction -to send i debtor' to gaol for debt eton if the detato V consent, unless it was proved that since thi r judgment the defendant bad been able to pa; h,e amount wilfully neglected to do so. Professor Falb, the German aoientist, hi the Canterbury earthquake pretty near t time. He predicted that the September am 3' October dates in his list of probable earth ), quakes would be the moßt important am X dangerous. The dates for September eajtb. quakes wo tliQ 17th aud I9tii,