GRADING OF CREAM

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32304, 25 August 1943, Page 5

GRADING OF CREAM

LIVELY DISCUSSION THAMES VALLEY DAIRY COMPLAINTS BY SUPPLIERS A lively discussion, in which one supplier said that he would put up £5O to be donated to any charitable institution if he was found to be wrong, took place on the subject of cream gradings given by the Te Aroha-Thames Valley Co-operative Dairy Company last season, at the annual meeting, of shareholders held recently. The supplier in question said that he had never received so much first grade cream the factory had been operating, and he had tried every method of improving his supply and sought the advice of the factory manager and inspectors. In desperation he had tried all sorts of experiments. He had been in the habit of getting superfine for morning’s cream and first for night’s and by way of experiment had mixed cream from both milkings and got superfine for the heavier can which corresponded in weight with his usual morning’s milk. Something must be wrong. Improved by Carbolic! The discussion waxed lively at this point, several speakers sometimes taking the floor together, and some bright examples of what were alleged to be haphazard cream' gradings were given. One man said that the only time he had superfine in one month was when, by accident; a cake of carbolic soap had been left in the milk vat. Others described exhaustive attempts 1 to improve their sheds which all resulted in the same old verdict of first grade. Some had changed cans with neighbours supplying other factories in order to get a check grading and sometimes the inference to be gained was that the local company was grading hard. The chairman said that he had experienced the same difficulties and had had more first-grade cream than ever before. He thought the trouble was general. The fact remained that the staff had been able to produce much first-class butter and from figures supplied it was indicated that better gradings have been received in this district than in most others. System Questioned A Supplier. It’s no good merely having a satisfied staff and a satisfied directorate. To have them facing dissatisfied suppliers is like winning the war and losing the peace. Production starts with the suppliers and the whole system of grading seems to be wrong. After much further discussion in the same vein it was pointed out that the position had been general last season and one company was known to have held two meetings of suppliers without getting anywhere.

An opinion was advanced by Mr Larsen,that owing to shortage of fertilisers pastures might not be yielding the same quality of fodder. Mr Corbett said that the whole position was causing the directorate a lot of concern. In a previous address on the metering of waterheaters in dairy sheds he had urged the farmers not to attempt to save their electricity bill at the expense of the quality of their cream-, every effort must be made to keep up the quality. In his own case, he had been receiving more firstgrade cream than ever before, however.

The chairman thought it was right to say that at least 95 per cent, of the farmers compared very favourably with any other section'of the community in regard to cleanliness and he agreed that it was disheartening when every effort was made to improve shed conditions and one still got low grades. . It Can. Be Done At the conclusion of the discussion the factory manager, Mr Lee, said that some experiments were being carried out in grading systems. One was the usual one of grading by taste, while the other was what was generally known a& “the blue test.” While it seemed that neither was infallible, they were as reliable as any method yet brought out, and the grading was checked by Department of Agriculture inspectors. “But it can be done in spite of isolated puzzling experiences,” said Mr Lee. “The answer is boiling water—mere hot water is not good enough—and boiling water every day and milking. Don’t try to save your electricity bill by letting down the grade of your cream, for the other way will pay you much better.” After some further discussion on the same lines, this question was then