NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXII, Issue 2785, 3 May 1911, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

THE MOISTURE QUESTION.

The London Grocer, in a leaderette ot its issue of nth February, says:— " Years ago, before it was subjected to the operations of manipulators, or 1 lakers,' New Zealand butter enjoyed the reputation ot being one of the best butters, and one containing the lowest percentage of moisture obtainable on the English market. Later, however, notably two years ago, there was an evident intention on the part of many of the producers to work as closely as possible to the 16 percent, limit for moisture, and complaints were made that in some instances that limit was exceeded. Protests brought about an improvement last season, but members of the trade in the United Kingdom are again complaining that some ot the New Zealand butters contain an unnecessary high percentage of water ana are ' fishy.' We hope that the New Zealand authorities will deal with the complaints promptly and effectually. New Zealand enjoys tacilities tor the production of butter of the finest possible quality, and many of the brands reaching our markets are characterised by unusual merits, the result of strict supervision in production, luxuriant pasturage, and natural feeding of the cattle under proper, open conditions. Provision is made for Ihe butter to be in cold store trom the time it leaves the dairy until it reaches the British market, and New Zealand farmers would be foolish to jeopardise their reputation iuither by striving to work too closely to the 16 per cent moisture limit, as they may have been pardoned for doing when ' fakers ' in the United Kingdom were ' water-logging' their produce, and, for the purposes of illicit gain increasing the moisture content from 8 to io to 25 per cent. A reputation is easily lost, but would be regained with diffi-

culty."