HOME SEPARATED CREAM

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8340, 29 January 1913, Page 2

HOME SEPARATED CREAM

CONDEMNATION AND EXTENUATION.

VIGILANCE OP THE DEPARTMENT.

Despite the fears that are so frequently expressed that the rapid extension of the home separation of cream will seriously affect tho quality of the butter, there can be no doubt but that that this labour-saving system has come to stay. In the South Island last week several speakers at an important conference of dairymen roundly condemned

homo separation root and branch, and according to the published report of their statements the growing practice of dealing with tho milk on the farm was practically sounding tho deathknell of top prices for New Zealand but ter on tho English market. It is to be hoped that the pessimistic views expressed will prove to .be wrong; still, there is no gainsaying the fact that home separation renders the task of tho butter maker a more difficult one than when all the milk is treated at a central receiving station. Tho officers of tho dairy division aro fully alivo to tho dangers surrounding the new practice, and would prefer tho old system to continue. On tho other hand it is recognised that in many districts where the suppliers aro scattered over large areas home separation offers the only alternative to private manufacture, or an abandonment of dairying altogether. All that is possible is being done to ensure a high standard of quality in the cream sent forward, and, seeing that every package of butter submitted for export is carefully graded, there Is little danger of an inferior article going abroad. By the system of grading in vogue the officer can easily trace the origin of any consignment that shows a tendency towards inferiority, and he advises the makers accordingly. It may not bo generally known to what extent tho department assists in maintaining the standard of New Zealand dairy produce, but it may be mentioned here that wherever weaknesses aro detected in quality immediate steps are taken to draw attention to them, and if an improvement is not shown in the next consignment an expert is sent along to ascertain the cause and supply tho remedy. This timely advice from headquarters is heart.iiy welcomed by the manufacturers, and it is to the credit of the department that tho tactful methods adopted have established perfect confidence with all connected with tho industry. It is weE known to those who have watched the work of the department, that in the event of persistent failure to accept tho advice tendered by tho expert there has been no hesitation in exerting pressure to insist on improvement being effected. Therefore, while this vigilance is being unremittingly exercised there is no great danger. Referring again to the quality of butter made from home separated cream, the grading points show that tho article coming forward is of a high standard of merit, thanks to the skill of the makers and improved machinery. Factories that deal solely with homo separated cream reach as high as from 91 to 93J points in the grading, but it is recognised that there will in all probability bo a smaller quantity of butter of a really superfine quality than has been coming forward hitherto. Everyone recognises tho high importance of maintaining the standard of quality of butter both from local consumption and for export, but it is useless now to talk of prohibiting homo separation. The tetter plan would be to concentrate every effort in the direction of educating tho supplier to tho absolute necessity for preventing contamination of the product and by bringing measures to bear that will insist upon his observance of tho most proficient methods.