THE OTAGO WINTER SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 831, 1 June 1910, Page 8

THE OTAGO WINTER SHOW.

SPEECH' BY MINISTER. OUR BUTTER AND CHEESE. (By Teieiraph.— Proso Association.! Dunedin, May 31. The Olago A.'and V. Society's seventeenth winter show opened. to-day in hue weather, and in- the presence ot u very large attendance.'' The'number of entries: this year was 1011, as against 101K last year, and as against 169 in 1895. The principal 'interest was centred in the cheese and butter, in both of which classes competition was very keen. The standard . : maintained by the prize-win-ners in cheese was fully; up to that of jiicvious years, and a satisfactory feature was the absence of low-scoring exhibit*. Mr. Cuddie stated that the exhibition of butter was one of the best which lie had ever seen, and that there was a noticeable improvement in all classes this year. He added that, if- the standard geuerally could. be. raised ..to that attained by the exhibitors to-day,'little or no fault would be found oil British markets. He attributed the improvement largely to the pasteurisation of cream. The exhibit of the Department of Agriculture is the feature of the show, and is splendidly displayed. '..,.„ In officially, opening the-show the Hon. T." Mackenzie said that the exports for twelve months ended last March were ..£21,467,000 and -the -imports. £14,773,000—a difference in our favour of JE6,670,000, as against .£500,060 last year. .During the first four months of this year, exports had totalled £11,000,000. and the imports for the first three inonths were '.£3,950,000. The Minister, proceeded to show t what had been doiio for . the,-public by tho Dairying Department" during the past j - ear. Forty-new cheese factories had been established, and the output of cheese showed'an increase of 39 per cent, over the previous year. Tho truantity of butter,exported for.tho season was 339,227 ■cwt., value.d at d£1,981-,-177—nn increaso of -52,492cwt. 'in and, ,£368,010 in value compared with the.' previous year. The exports of cheese- amounted to 453,SGSc.wt'., valued at increase of 126,717cw.t.y and ,£333,238 for the sea-

With , reference to the industry, the Minister'slated that we had tested our first export nf apples Tinder favourable conditions, and were now awaiting a report in connection ' therewith from the oilier side of the World. Fniit-grow-ine promises''to become u great industry. In concliisinrC,-the Minister cxprcewjl Iho opinion thai .the full of promise. ■ ■■ ■ In tho course of a l, few remarks the Hon. T. Y. Duncan stated that one thins had been neglected since he left the Department, and that was ,t!io cstablishtnent of an-experiment fariniu tho South

Island. Before he vacated his position in the JlijiMry lie had left a I'iinn marked out. and the land then belonpretl In Ihe Government. AdilresMiig Mr. Mackeiixic. Mr. Duncan added :■ "There is something for yon to take back to Cabinet; and yon will Ret my assistance till yon get that farm established." Jlr. Mackenzie assured his hearers that hi! had not lost sight of tho mutter, and would try to help tho .South Island.