THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1998, 27 November 1888, Page 3

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

I * There can be no doubt whatever that m the not far distant future tho products ■ of tho dairying industry will form one i of the principal classes of exports from this colony, and as thcro is almost a 1 world-wide market for butter and cheese there is no reason to fear that there can bo any such thing as over-production. Referring to the prospects which lie beforo our dairy fanners, our Wellington contemporary, tho ' l New Zealand limes" says: — "Many shrewd and far- seeing people confidently believe that the prosperous future of tho colony may bo summed up m two words ' butter ' and ' cheose.' Tho growing importanco of the New Zealand dairy industry is not at all adequately recognised by tho public generally. But it is nevertheless a great fact, and ono fraught with vast possibilities. The European demand for dairy produce is almost illimitable. Hardly any country m the whole world, certainly no country south of the Equator, enjoys such remarkable advantages as a dairying country as does New Zealand.' Boil, climate, natural features, everything is most favorable, and now that tho difficulty of transit to market has been ovorcomo by the introduction of 'cool chambers' m tho vessels plying between x^ew Zealand and Great Britain, the trade is bound to develop itself to an extent only limited by the amount of New Zealand's supplies. When it is remembered that there are m the colony already no fewer than four European buyers of dairy j produce, the magnitude of tho trade's future potentialities can hardly fail to suggest itself. It behoves those who aro engaged m pastoral or agricultural pursuits to recognise this plain fact — that dairying is to bo the colony's great industry of tho future, and to make their preparations accordingly, so that they may reap their due share of the prosperity which it will assuredly bring." All this is unquestionably true, and m order to establish on firm foundations a large and profitable export trado it is well that careful note should be take of all those conditions which make for success and thoso which make for failure. First and foremost it is necessary that the article produced should be of the finest quality and of even sample, and next it is indispensable that it should only be shipped m suitable packages, and under conditions which will ensure its reaching the market not only sound and good m quality but of an attractivo appearance, m the matter of butter thero could bo no bettef guido than tho methods employed by Danish y manufacturers whoso produce always commands tho highest market price, and as regards cheese a good deal might be learned from our American cousins whoso export trade to Great Britain and the continent of Europe runs into enormous figures, As regards Ganada, it appears that recently there has been a deterioration m the quality of the cheese produced notwithstanding that farmors havo been exorcising more caro m the management of the milk, aad tho fault appears to havo been traced to the " creameries " or dairy factories, being said to be duo to tho carelessness or parsimony of tho owners of the factories who often employ incompetent managers m ordor to avoid the payment of high salaries. 3 his proceeding ia, however, obviously tho reverse of true economy, and the lesson which it teaches is that if New Zealand is to succeed, as sho ought to succeed, m establishing a largo export m dairy productions the vory best talent must be employed m thoir manufacture, fcio far, only a few of our dairy factories have been ablo to show satisfactory finanolal results, but that is almost always tbo case m the initiatory stages of new industries ; and a steady persistence m the production of a first-class article and placing it m tho market m prime condition, will we are persuaded, result m the end m securing for New Zealand butter and cheese a premier position and eventually the command of prices which will well remunerate the producer and exporter.