DAIRYING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3100, 2 June 1917, Page 10

DAIRYING INDUSTRY

SOME EARLY HISTORY

In responding to the toast of the dairy . industry at a lunoheon given by the South. Island Daily Association, Mr. p. Cuddie (head of tho Dairy Division) said it might be fitting for him to refer to the 'earlier days of tho dairy industry 'in New Zealand.' So far as could be ascertained tho first importation of dairy cattle to the Dominion was made by the Rev. Samuel- Marsd«n, these being brought from NeV Soujh Wales. Mr. Marsden had then said that the. day would como when tho cattle would increase in number and bo useful to the inhabitants of New Zealand in the production of milk, butter, and cheese. Mr. MnTsden followed up that shipment with further importations. The- first dairy farm in New Zealand that they knew of was established on n little island opposite the coast of Wellington, Mr. John Batf coining from .New South Wales in a small craft with 10 cows, a bull, and 120' sheep. Mr. Baft made butter ans sold it to the. whalors and others who eamo to New Zealand in the early days. The next importation, which ivas on a somewhat larger scale, was inade to Banks Peninsula—also from New South Wales. This importation was distributed in various parts, of Canterbury, and enabled tho. "settlers there to net a start. Coming to Otago. the Philip Laing arrived in 1848/ She had had on board a bull mid a oow. Tlie cow died., however, and the bull was turned adrift. in the-bush at Anderson Bay. Previous h> the arrival of the Philip Laing ""' .T. Jones had established a farm at'Waikouaiti. The.late Mr. W. Jaffray, of Saddle Hill, who was a'passenger by the Philip Laing. had told him (the sneaker) that he had been able to purrliaso ten cows , from an importation to Twofold Bav. Mr. .Taffray's family still resided at Saddle Hill. We were sometimes inclined to overlook the fact that they were greatly indebted to these, early settlers for the start of .the dairy industry. In those days the demand for stock . wns keen, and most of them had to buy

their stock on bills. When the gold miners conic along prices wore very high in Otugo—about 2s. (id. a pound for butter, nnd sometimes us. lu tho early 'eighties, however, the dairy industry was in a bad way, and even in the 'nineties, consequent on the fact that production had increased so much and that there was no outside market, except in Australia on the occasion of a drought. There was also lack of shipping facilities. When the machinery for freezing came into existence better conditions prevailed, and shortly after that a start was made with co-operative dairy factories. Unfortunately some of the people connectpd with fliese dairy factories had not much knowledge of Hairying business. Heavy losses wore incurred, and many factories had to go into liquidation. Since then other factories had been formed, and the dairy industry had never looked back. Prices had greatly increased. There was no doubt that in the futiivo the industry would pxnrnid, and ilie output would probably be. doubled in the very near future. Touching on the question of shipping facilities, the speaktv said there was still a laTge quantity of cheese to ship, and a much larger quantity of butter. TTe thought they conld look forward to the coming season with tli» hope that nt least the shipping facilities would be no worse tlmn la 4 year. There wa«. he knew, a good deal of nsSsvmism amongst the dairying people in regard to next Tcnr's business, but the Government was doin? all it conld to provide for all contingencies, nnd a conference was to -report upon the question of increasing tlie storage for meat, butter, and cheese.