New Zealand Dairy Produce.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 275, 30 March 1894, Page 2

New Zealand Dairy Produce.

FUKTHER REPORT FROM MR LOWE. A further report from Mr S. Lowe (Government Dairy Expert; at London) has just come to hand. It is dated February 2nd, and is of, an interesting nature. * NEGLECTED BUTTER. Mr Lowe says : — In one of my previous reports I spoke of finding 472 boxes and 54 kegs of the Tongariro's butter lying in the shed at the Albert Docks, exposed to all the changes of temperature and virtually unprotected from ail the dangers such exposure entails, during a period of about a month — in fact, until the Ruapehu arrived. I have now further to report that 354 boxes and 120 kegs of the Ruapehu's butter have, until the last few days, been subjected to similar treatment. There can be little doubt but that the quality has depreciated considerably since they- were landed, and therefore whoever eats them will not have so good an opinion of New Z alaud butter as they would have had if the quality had not been depreciated. They will thus give New Zealand butter a bad name. IBEEGULAR SHIPMENTS. , It is almost impossible to overestimate the damage done to the bat ter trade of the Colony by the withdrawal of those steamers that formerly brought their cargoes regularly every fortnight. This season the arrival of New Zealand butter: has been most spasmodic, and consequently buyers have turned their attention to Australian, where regularity of arrival week by week is a certainty. It would be an immense advantage if the Government would follow the example of Victoria and secure from the shipping companies a regular service for next season. If this service were fortnightly, and so arranged that each vessel brought about an equal quantity, it would be a still further advantage. Nothing demoralises a market more than one week to flood it with batter and the next starve it. , COLD STOBAGE JN THE COLONY; Along with this question of securing fortnightly and equal shipments arises that of cold storage in the Colony. Every cargo of butter that arrives demonstrates the inadequacy of the present supply. I feel pretty confident, from a long experience of testing - New Zealand butter on its arrival, that when it is first made it is mostly . sw€»t. It is the practice of keeping it^Jtsiader the house, or other cool plWos, instead of being able to despatch it straight off to a freezing chamber, that causes so much of it to become rank and realise comparatively low prices. The butter is damaged before reaching the ship's frozen or cool chamber, by either getting too hot in the farmer's house or factory store, or on the railway down to the port, or in the holds of the coasting steamers. To mend this deplorable ! state of things is the first duty of the | Government. THE BUTTER MARKET. The butter market this week has been in a very uncertain condition, and, as Danish has fallen another four shillings, it will require all the energies of the Butter Committee, to keep up the price of Colonial The Danes are determined to bid for the market, and have lowered the price for that purpose.. During the last month in London Colonial butter has been selling so much below its intrinsic value that buyers have neglected Danish, and the consequeoce is there are large accumulations in the north of England and the Midlands which must be worked off, and a lower price has been fixed with this object. Still, the Oceana's butter has gone off so well, and the Orient has such a small \ cargo, that it will be difficult for the Danish manoeuvre to affect the price of Uolonial. SHARP PRACTICE. I have heard this week, on excellent authority from a gentleman whom I can unhesitatingly believe, that an importer in Tooley street bought about eighty boxes of New Zealand butter with the brand "Taranaki" marked on in large letters. Yet on one side of these boxes, in equally bold letters, was the announcement " Made in Victoria. 71 Now I have no doubt but that this was done because Victorian butter is becoming popular. There are not many grocers, or wholesale dealers, who have sufficient geographical knowledge to detect this error. It may, perhaps, appear only a small matter, but the utmost precaution will be taken to discover if the author of this manoeuvre intends to carry on bis nefarious practice. If he does, an action under the Mercantile Marks Act will teach him a very salutary lesson.