DISQUIETING REVELATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1107, 21 April 1911, Page 8

DISQUIETING REVELATIONS.

AUSTRALIAN BUTTER DETERIORATING.

According to Sydney files containing reports of the lioyal Agricultural Show, tho butter exhibits were of a lower grade than in previous years. "There wer? fewer entries," says the "Telegraph," "but tho best and most progressive factories in the State were represented. Tho decline in quality may be assessed at about •! to 5 per cent. This is a very serious mutter from every point of view, and ono that needs looking into closely by the manufacturers. . . . The best test of tho quality of the season's butter, from' the export point of view, is afforded by the continuous judging competition, ill which 10 of the foremost factories competed. As this butter is taken each month from tho agents' floors, it may be regarded as a fair sample of tho butters that go to London. Of 151 samples judged during tho eight months' . currency. of the oompetitioii only seven reached superfine standard, while the general average of the whole was but 85.6, showing that these butters collectively for tho eight months could only be classed as secondgrade. Mr. Stening, who judged tho butter this year and last year, was asked to discuss the quality of this year's exhibits.- Mr. Stening, in his interview, said that the deterioration applied to both quality and manufacture. . After going into details concerning 'what he regarded as the errors which were the cause of the falling off, he said that the chief conclusion forced upon him by the exhibits was that the manufacturers for the most nart. had shown no They had followed the system of normal seasons, instead of adopting methods to countejviet the. effects of abnormal conditions, ,-liau this bscn done. th°re was no reason, in his oninion, why the butters shotild not | have been up to the standard.