THE CHEESE SHIPMENT.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2221, 8 April 1881, Page 3

THE CHEESE SHIPMENT.

Tho export Bhed at the Lyttelton station was yesterday the soene of unusual activity in connection with the shipment of_ cheese which is beiug made on board the Orari under tho auspices of theßanks'Peninsula AsßOciation. As was stated yesterday, the New Zealand Shipping Company has gone to considerable expense in fitting up a compartment on board the vessel specially for this shipment. Some little time Bince the dairy proprietors on the Peninsula finding that no more than threepence per pound could bo realised in thia market for cheese, organised themselves into an association with the chief purpose of undertaking to export cheese to the old oountry. A very short time after tho idea of an association was first mooted served to show that tho cheese producers on the Peninsula were willing to support a movement having for its object the opening up of a new market for their produce, and the association at the present time has a numerous and influential list of members. At tho laat meeting held it was resolved to invite dairymen everywhere to sond loose to Lyttelton whatever choose they had fit for shipment, and the association would see to the proper packing of it, and shipping! The manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, Mr J. L. Coster, was interviewed by the Association, and he at once guaranteed thorn his best assistance in making the necessary arrangements for the proper transport of the maiden shipment to England. The company's ship Orari, owing to the very ample means it possesses for ventilating the 'tween decks Swas selected. Between the main and after hatches was chosen as the best location for the compartment, and a bulk head extending the full width of the ship, 32ft Sin or thereabouts, was put up. The compartment is to be air-tight, hence it has been built up with double walls of tongued and grooved timber, with a oomplete lining of thick felt between the boards. The oubic measurement of the compartment is equal to a trifle over 100 tons, and as but forty or at most fifty tons weight of cheese is to be accommodated in it the space whioh has been apportioned will allow for liberally wide passages between the tiers of cheese when stowed. Captain Mosey, the worthy master of the ship, has taken very great interest in the preparations which have been made on board, and has personally looked after their due completion. On the homeward voyage he will keep a record of the temperature of the oompartment, to be taken every two hours from the time the ship leaves here to her arrival in London. It is expeoted to keep a mean temperature of 65 degrees. Until the ship gets into tko warm latitudes this will be easily done, and even in the tropics, unless a prolonged calm is experienced, the temperature can be kept down' so as never to exoeed 70 degrees. In the hottest weather chemicals for reducing the temperature (such as were used by Professor Bickerton at the test lately made by him with a miniature cheese oompartment, which was fitted up and experimented with by the Professor at Mr Anderson's foundry) will be oarried into the compartment by means of pipes, access to whioh will be had from the deok. It will be seen from what is here stated that if it is possible to command the success of this experimental shipment, short of resorting to the Bell-Coleman process, the means which have been taken oa board the Orari are entitled to be regarded by the shippers as best carrying out the idea. Considerable responsibility rests, of course, with the shippers themselves whether the cheese will reach its destination in marketable condition. If there is anything faulty with the article now, such as being too new for shipping—and certainly some of that which was being put into cases yesterday in the export shed had the appear* ance of being not more than a month old—then the failure of the operation is a foregone conclusion. Every care is, however, said to have been taken to guard against defects, and the news of the arrival at home of the shipment will be looked for with considerable interest by the public generally, and with no little anxiety, perhaps, by the dairymen on the Peninsula. The cheese will be put on board to-day.