DAIRY PRODUCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 406, 21 October 1911, Page 7

DAIRY PRODUCE.

AN INSTRUCTIVE COMPARISON

At the Royal Show held recently in Victoria, tho Department of Agriculture for tiiat state h:i.i an instructive exhibit of dairy produce, ojada up of samples of butter anil cheese from so mo of the d iicerent dairying i countries that are in compstitioi wiln Australasia in the world's markets. There was ori view a tub of Danisn butter, a tub of Siberian butter, a box of Irish butter, and a box of Victorian, which had been sent to London and returned. The butters were analysed to ascertain all details, and results proved, without any dobui, that the Danish product was the best of the four. Victorian butter came next in quality, then Siberian, and the Irish a bad third. Referring to this ' fact, Mr Crowe, superintendent of exports, stated that with reference to the Irish exhibits it was possible that the butter was not quite typical of the country's produce. It is interesting to note that the Victorian butter, previous to being sent to London, was not graded superfine. The certificate number wan traced, and it was found that the butter was examined in Melbourne on March 28th last, and scored 94 points, proving it to be a really goud first-grade butter then, but not quite superfine. Considering the butter was over five months old when it was seen at the Royal Show, and had undergone ths return journey from London, and was still a first-grade product, it compared woll with the Danish article, which was probably not more than ten weeks old.

A striking and important feature of the Danish article was its splendid "get up," for it might be justly said that it was daintily finished. The paper was folded evenly all round, so as to make a circular fan, and under that was a round sheet covering the whole of the butter. In the centre was a little strip four by two inches, on which was printed the national trade marie or Lur Brand, the old Viking's trumpet. The custom in Victoria has been to use the best paper for marking descriptions of this nature on the top of the butters. In the Danish product exhibited, however, it was found to be impossible to remove the strip carrying the markings, because it came to pieces if handled. Therefore, it was impossible to change the brand on to another package of butter. This in itself was a striking object lesson to the thoroughness of the work done by the thrifty Danes. O.no of the staves on the Danish tub also contained the national mark, together with the number by which the factory could be identified. The number found on the stave and the name of the factory were also found on the top of the keg outside. It is worthy of note that in Denmark factories can use the national mark so long as tha product made maintains its quality above the stipulated standard. This, combined with the educational system in vogue in that country, has practically the same effect as the compulsory grading branding, and instruction system which has proved so successful in New Zealand. The main lesson to be gained by carefully noting the products exhibited by the various conntries was that the Danes far excelled people in other parts in the matter of attending to every detail in connection with the manufacture and finish of their produce.