Mr Valentine at Palmerston.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 311, 11 May 1894, Page 2

Mr Valentine at Palmerston.

f THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. • A good number, of representative set- . tiers assembled at the Occidental Hotel , last evening to bear Mr Chas. B. Valen- . tine, Chief Dairy Expert to the Govern ment, address them on matters connected , with dairies and dairy factories. The [ Mayor (Mr W. Park) was voted to the chair. Mr Valentine's address was similar to the one he delivered at Wanganui last , Wednesday, a precis of which we published yesterday. In reply to Mr Matheson, Mr Valentine said there was a great demand for tinned butter, which was sent Home almost exclusively from one place, although there was no reason why there should not be a large output. In reply to Mr Skerman, Mr Valentine said the best cooling apparatus was based on the principle of Lawrence's capillary refrigerator. There was one important point Mr Birch would like answered, and that was as to the likelihood of present prices keeping up at Home In the South Island farmers said milk did not pay at 3d per gallon, but he was glad to see the farmers here were quite satisfied with it. Mr Valentine was quite convinced that if proper care was exercised there was little likelihood of any fall in prices for years to come. But precautions would have to be taken to see that it was not dumped down in .one place and sacrificed. He particularly wished the farmers to look upon the dairy question altogother apart from politics, as the department were determined to work the matter out solely on commercial lines. Mr Cohen asked if the produce could not receive more attention during its transit from the factory to the steamer. Mr Valentine replied that it was recognised something should be done in that direction as soon as possible. In the past tbe railway and coastal steamer arrangements had been simply disgraceful. In answer to Mr Buick, Mr Valentine said he could not speak with authority as to the intention of the department grading butter, although personally he believed in the producer grading, for the present at any rate. In reply to Mr West, Mr Valentine said the department was preparing a leaflet in regard to the best seeds to sow for dairying purposes, but ho could say broadly that mixed seed was the best. In reply to Mr F. E. Watson, Mr Valentine said he favored paying for milk according to quality. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Valentine for his able address.