The Manawatu Standard. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1885. A NEW EXPORT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 11, 17 April 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1885. A NEW EXPORT.

In a recent issue of the Canterbury Times Mr W. Reeves draws attention to the fact that a substance named " Ghee " m other words, rancid butter — is an article of almost universal use m many parts of JJritixh'' India- It is used externally and internally by million* of our Indian fellow subjects, and is gradually becoming dearer as population increases, and the land is taken up more exclusively for agricultural purposes. A very recent work (1884) on India, by Miss Gordon Cummisg, contains the followingoinformation on this subject : — "The annual consumption of ghee m British India (exclusive ot Native States, is estimated at considerably over five million hundred-weighte, the value of which is about fourteen mil. lion pounds sterling. Its price varies from fivepence to one shilling per ]l», but is gradually rising, owing to the continuous decrease of grazing land, eonsequeut on the increase of cultivation. To meet the ever-increasing demand, the Indian Government have now invited the dairy farmers of Australia to commence ghee making on a Jarge scale, offering to .send Hindoo ghee makers to instruct them m th&art.» As milk yields a larger proportion of ghee than of butter, and neither time nor distance will injure this unfragrant produce, it is probable that Australian farmers may be glad co avail themselves of this never-tail-ing market." Whether Miss Gordon CuMMfNG is correct about the price, it is certain that the rest of the information is substantially correct. " Ghee," it may be explained, is made by boiliDg, curding, and churning milk till it becomes rancid, when it is packed m iars. The process could easily be taught, as suggested m Miss Cumming's book, by Hindoos brought over for the purpose. That the market is most extensive is shown by the. quantity used m British India alone*'' and that it must be a rapidly increasing quantity can also be shown by the fact that, uuder the benign influence of British rule, the population of Bengal has trebled m the last century, and that if the Indian population goes on increasing at its present rate there will be twenty-five million more hungry mouths to be fed ten years hence, than there are at the pre sent moment. The manufacture of " ghee " would seeai to have the<e advantages over making butter for ex. port by our farmers — First, the produce per gallon of milk is larger ; .second, tbo risk of damage by keep, travel, and change of temperature can hardly be said to exist J third, the return to the exporter would, on the average — if the price quoted i* near the mark —be better than is obtained from butter sent to London, always taking into account, .the advantages already mentioned. Mr Reeves concludes by «aying that he thinks a suflicient case is here made out for further enquiry. The Government, the Pastoral aud Agri cultural Society, and merchants, witlv correspondents m India, might jwell enquire inquire into the facts of the case, and see if Miss Gordon Cumming's statements are borne out by facts, so far as to submit to the crucial test of £ x and d. If so, we may hope before long to see a new and' payable industry grow up and flourish through the colony. Any proposal to increase the wealth producing power of this colony by adding new varieties to our somewhat scanty list of saleable exportSj should be carefully investigated, and its merits demonstrated. It was at one time thought that British India would furnish an extensive and renuinerative export market for our frozen^meat, but be it borne m mind that our meat would not be touched by the great mans of the native population on account of religious prejudices, and that the European inhabitants are few m number, and aheady sufficiently B\ip' plied with a fair quantity of meat. But, though India may not afford a market for meat, it does not follow that a trade m other kinds of our produce may not be profitably opened up with that country. It will be admitted generally that one of our most promising industries m the future is dairying. A large part of our land m both islands is specially suited for ! the dairy, and our climate is even more suitable than the iund. What we require is a market, and if we cannot find a sale for our butter, we may do so by altering the mantifHC- ! turt-d uiticle to suit the demand, aud ; exporting " gliae " instead, We must

make and ex port that which will yield a good return, if we are to benefit by our industries. We must seek large populations, as lliat on our own shoves 13 too limited to consume our commodities m quantities. If "ghee" could he made out of l>ad butter, New Zealand should be able to supply it abundantly. Dairying should be the industry of the future m thi.s Colony, md it behoves us to look ahead and ■ ifield. and ascertain m what directions iiur capital, labour, and grand natural resources may Ue most advantageously and repj'oductivuly expended.