DAIRYING METHODS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2026, 11 March 1907, Page 4

DAIRYING METHODS.

CONTROL ASSOCIATIONS. In tho course of a letter to Mr W. Morgan, secretary of the Gisborne Technical School, Mr Busck, who has been suggested as instructor in dairying at the Technical School, makes tho following interesting remarks : I do not know the number of cows you have in your district, but I will endeavor to organise a control association including the cows supplying milk to the factories in your district, and by-charging a small fee per cow for testing tho milk in regard to quantity and quality, and to keep records of these tests as well as of the food consumed. These fees would be before long a valuable subsidy to your Department towards paying my salary, and the scheme would afford the students valuable practical training in this most important work. I .may state that by the aid of these control associations tho Danes have been able to select and breed tlieir cows with the result that the return from each cow has nearly doubled itself in the course of a few years.

So far nothing has been done in New Zealand on these lines, and I shall bo glad to assist your district to lead tho way in this important movement, as well as in other up-to-date movements in connection with dairying and agriculture. There is no better illustration of tho necessity of keeping up-to-date than the information given in the High Commissioner’s cable dated London, February 10th. —“The butter market is glutted and lifeless, choice New Zealand is quoted 101 s, Argentine 101 s, Danish 1125.”

My late colleague, Mr C. W. Sorensen, when Chief Dairy Expert to the Now Zealand Government, in his annual report to the Government, said “The astonishing increase in the exports of the butter from the Argentine is worthy of the serious attention of every one interested in the New Zealand trade. In two years tho exports have grown from nothing to 300 tons per month during the season. So far the quality has been inferior, prices ruling about 10s per cwt. below quotations for New Zealand. But this will be remedied with the introduction of expert skill and English capital, and then we shall indeed have to look to our laurels.” You will see that Mr Sorenson’s prophesy has come about, in a little more than ten years the quality from being inferior butter and quoted at 10s below New Zealand butter, is now realising the same price, and 11s per cwt. below Danish. This information is a most conclusive evidence of the fact that the quality of New Zealand butter has not advanced as it ought to owing to the non-progressive policy of the Agricultural Department.