The Butter Export Trade. [From the " New'Zealand Farmer."]

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 356, 3 April 1889, Page 3

The Butter Export Trade. [From the " New' Zealand Farmer."]

f T % our last issue we animadverted upon the injurious treatment, to wHich butter for shipment to foreign markets was often subjocted. We referred specially to the case of some Taranaki butter left lying on the wharf at New Plymouth exposed to a blazing sun, after having beon conveyed there by rail in open trucks. Since 'those remarks were printed it has been stated that tons of New Zealand butter are lying in Sydney stores, in a present condition little better than carb-grease. But what else can we expect from the way in which the butter is treated, and the manner in which the expor.t trade is managed generally?' It is in our opinion simply suicidal policy to send "large quantities of butter on consignment to Sydney or o*iher Australian towns, directly there is a rise in price. New Zealand butter makers should simply fill ordeis and no more. The rtet of their stock, if they Have proper storing rooms and other appliances such as they should have, will keep good and sweet in their hands ; but if sent to Sydney, to be knocked about in open trucks, and upon wharves and steamers, and then stowed away to swelter in the tropical heat <of towns like Sydney or Melbourne in the summer time, what can the best mild-cured butter in the world become bub lancid caibgrease ? The much-vaunted Danish and Normandy butter would never stand such treatment as this. This butter is made, sent quickly bo London, and probably immediately consumed. We do not for one tnoflaenc believe that the Danish butter makers would fare any better than our New Zealand dairy people it they had to deal with the intensely unfavourable conditions which simound the export trade in butter from this colony to Australia. We do not say that there is not much bad butter made in New Zealand which Avill nq^ keep, but we now have private dairies and several dairy factories which are turning out butter second to none in the world ; and whatever conditions spoil this butter will spoil any oHiei\ butter that is not heavily .salted and specially prepared for "long keeping -under alPand any circumstances of cliriiatej etc. - r " We have before us a letter which appeared in the Jlawera Star, written by Mr W. Dugdale, foimerly of Waitaia, but who is now in England, in which he refers to the fact that butter said to be New Zealand butter was uneatable on board the steamer lie went home in a fortnight after the voyage began. Ho Hatters hnn&elf he proved that the bad butter was nob made m New Zealand, but our readers will see from his letter printed below, that he only succeeded in proving that properly treated good' TaranaU butter will keep good duting the whole voyage to England. This has been proved already more than once, but how ara we to ensure proper treatment not only on board the steamers at sea, bub before the butter i 3 shipped ? Mr Dugdale writes :—: — After we had been out about a fortnight the butter was so bad we could not eat it, and when complained of, we were told it was New Zealand, butter, and therefore would not keep, flatly denied this, and told the steward I woul , prove my assertion? <-hetore I got to England which I did, much, to the joy oL my fellow pas sengers. And now I will tell you how I did it Botoie leaving TaTatnaki, my friend Mr Purdio, ot Waitaia West, gave me about ten pounds of fresh butter in a jar to use on the voyage, but when I heard the New Zealand butter abused Ly the steward, I refrained norn eating it, and kept it in my box until we got to the tropics, and then I had it placed m the cool chamber (not the trcc/ni' (until we had passed through them. Then I had it taken out and 1 placed. it again in my box until we arrived in the Channel. I then opened thejai* and gave some to the steward? and some to the passengers. They all pronounced it very good, much 'to the disgust of the former when they found it was New Zealand butter. Since I have landed, people of all classes have tasted it and pro-nounced-it very good, some saying that it had kept better than English. It is noir two months old, and still good. I have been to]d the colonial salt will not keep the butter well, and it would bo well to see to that. Having had some experience in butter-making both in Australia and New Zealand, [ may be relied upon a Jittle, ana I feel quite sure that Jvcw/ealand butter, properly made and carefully shipped on board one of the direct lino of steamers, and there kept in the cool chamber, will be, on arriving in England, as good as any, and better than some of the English salt nutter. But it will not do to be placed in sheds where the thermometer ranges from 80 to 90 degrees, as 1 have seen it, nor to be sent in open trucks or on 1 decks of the coasting steamers, with the sun shining on it until it is transhjppod to the direct steamers. Let me tell'you, if you do not already know, that the railroads here have cool carriages to carry the new milk in, irom all parts of the country, to London. «* hy cannot your Government hejp the interests of the country by doing likewise tor the butter? And why canuot tae people send men to Parliament who will look after the universal good o£ the country instead of their own little local interests, and making laws one session that are to be altered the next? O»e word more about butter. You want a trustworthy agent at home, who would receive your shipments of good butter only, so that he could guarantee it to the buyer. Such a person is now in New Zealanc3, I believe, and therefore you could make personal arrangements with him. It is Captain Ash by, of 22 Leadenhall-street, London, E. C. Ho is so well-known in Auckland that his address there might easily be found. We fear it is only too likely that the uneatable butter Mr Dugdalo denied to be Now Zealand butter was after all made in this colony, and perhaps as good originally as any Danish dairy ever turned out. ' Bub probably it had been destroyed, so far as keeping qualities were concerned, by bhe treatment it had received previous bo shipment, and very likely after it was placed on board as well. It is a? necessary to fche success of the butter export tiade, that the butter shall be properly handled and treat cd horn the <time it? leaves the dairy,' as that ..it shall be made of the best, quality to begin with. We hav^cleciitttred tlie butter makers >,k>ng enough, and the butter oarriers must ndw be made bo recognise their' duty. The 'jfy'ajlway Department, being a Government t institution, should set a good example in 'this matter, and "do all in its power to ■facilitate the efforts of our dairy factories to ] establish a profitable dairy exporb trade. As yet they do not seem fully awake to their duties in this respect.