DAIRY FARMERS CONFER.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4548, 9 April 1923, Page 2

DAIRY FARMERS CONFER.

SUPPLIERS’ COMMITTEES. The monthly meeting of the Paeroa Central and District Conveners’ committees was held in the board-room of the N.Z. Dairy Co.’s local office on Thursday last. Mr W. F. Johnstone presided over the meeting. The local director of the compnay, Mr G. Buchanan, was also in attendance. The month’s work was discussed iy the district representatives, and general satisfaction was expressed with the company’s . various undertakings, i Mr A. J. Garry, manager of, the Paeroa butter factory, gave a brief address on the disadvantages of turnip feeding to cows. He pointed out the .serious effects turnip-flavoured cream had on the butter, it was explained that in some cases if, had been almost impossible to detect t,ur; nip flavour in cream on arrival at the factory, yet during the process of manufacturing the butter the flavour and odour of turnips had come out very noticeably. It was stated by the Komata representative that trials had been made in feeding paspalum grass to the cows in place of turnips, and they had proved very satisfactory. Paspalum was easy of culture, and the cows had done well oh the grass, with no detrimental effect to the qual • ity of the cream.

The system of grading occupied a lot. of discussion, as also did the manner in which the suppliers’ dockets for cream were marked up. Mr Gariy suggested that it should be a recommendation to the various suppliers’ committees to adopt the system of marking on the suppliers’ weight dockets the actual number of points graded. Under the present system it was pointed out that a supplier, might' be for months supplying superfine cream, yet that, cream was quite likely being graded barely 91 points—just inside superfine—or, again, the cream might grade out. 89 or 90 points, which equalled first grade, but just outsid ■ superfine. Mr Garry said he thought that if a system was adopted similar to the one in vogue in many of the North Auckland factories, namely, marking on each supplier’s weight docket the actual number of points the cream had graded out, in addition to the words superfine, first, or second grade. By doing this the suppliers would know exactly where they stood as regards grades, and their energies would then be concentrated on righting the wrongs, and ultimately only the superfine cream would content them. A supplier’s cream graded, say, 90 points, was only one point below the superfine, and yet. under the present, system that supplier had no idea how much he was below the desired object. The meeting decided that the points system of grading was undoubtedly the most satisfactory method, and Mr Garry was thanked for his interesting explanation of the position.