New Zealand Dairy Produce.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4359, 12 January 1909, Page 3

New Zealand Dairy Produce.

(Cont'nued.)

Wk have [received from the DepartPent of Agriculture a report by the Dairy Commissioner (Mr D Cuddie) on bis recent visit to Great Britain in connection with the inspectumTof butter and cheese on the Home markets. The Commissioner also paid a visit to Denmark. /

At the present juncture anything affecting the Dairying industry is of considerable importance to this Dominion more especially those on the land. In speaking of New Zealand Creamery butter, Mr Cuddie goes on to say : —Dairying in Denmark. Having received permission to Denmark I took advantage of the opportunity thus afforded, and, although the time at my disposal was limited, I was A able to get an insight \ into some of the of dairying adopted in that ■fyountry.

—Agricultural College and Experiment Station—

At Copenhagen I visited the Royal Agricultural College and Central Experiment Station, where there is much to be seen and learnt in connection with scientific aud practical dairying. This institution is on a very extensive scale, and a great deal of attention is given to all branches of dairy work in the different laboratories under the guidance of a professorial staff. At the Bacteriological and Chemical Laboratories investigation are continually being carried out to help the dairy industry, and also to check any irregularities which may occur with regard to the manufacture of dairy produce. The work undertaken is principally of an educational character, and the success which has attended the efforts of the Government to supply the dairyfarmers with information has been phenomenal. Specially trained men are employed at the Experiment Station, whose services are available for carrying out experiments on the ordinary farms, when necessary, in connection with the tilling and growing of crops and the use of manure, etc. For example, experiments were made some time ago with the growing of mangolds as a winter food for dairy cows. Special varieties were selected and the feedingvalue of each ascertained, when it was proved that mangolds are one of the most economical and suitable foods for dairy cattle, and one-tenth of the total area of the country is now used for growing these roots. Demonstrations have been made to show the farmer how to grow his crops, and also the kind of crops* which will return the most money when fed to his dairy stock. different foods used for feeding cows, calves, and prigs* (ere analysed, and one food is compared with another, and the information is sent oat to farmers. in bulletins or pamphlets The relative feeding-valne of each food, including those imported,. is given, but no reference is made to price, because the cost fluctuates from time to time. The farmer who could formerly only keep from eight to ten cows is now able to keep twelve to fifteen really good milkers, and rear from thirty to forty pigs in one year. This has been brought about by educating him how to work Ids land to better advantage. an<J to grow, the most profitable food for his stock, and by temhing him to cull out the poor cows. A considerable ’ amount of outside

work is also undertaken in connection

with the manufacture of butter by f;b•: officials of the Experiment sTiila., These men often go to* tlanv t’angjrJLi the request of the. owners, and coMbT* l scries of experiments xn order f r come, some difficulty which has cropped I up, or to test the efficiency of any new ' machinery, etc. Other experiment* an sometimes arranged on the suggestion o the official*, and any resulting information. is placed at the disposal '■of tin factories in general; Many samples of milk, creatu, butter, buttermilk, skim - milk, and wbofr an \ collected for analysis at this staiiglLanc during last year twenty fhcrus?n!rzest‘ were 'made to determine whether the pasteurisation of these products had beer: properly carried out at the many daily factories throughout the country. > • •t, ; \ , —Pasteurisation.— Pasteurisation is compulsory in Denmark, and all milk and cream, as well as the by-products, must be to a , temperature of not less than 185‘ 1 Fahr. ( - As the result of investigations made bv Dr. Storch, of the Royal College, a simple test /was discovered by it caQybe proved if the milk or cream fie been heated up to the specifijj temperature. By adding one drop 1 k paraphenylondiamine and two drops M peroxide of hydrogen and mixing with ■ v ' the sample. Thei colour of the sample turns blue if the temperature used has ' been too low, arid remains Unaltered ii the correct temperature has j been reached. v .When discussing ' the question 10l pasteurisation with Professor Bang, the stat'd that when the system was A-sl introduced the dairy - farmers- wILe strongly opposed to it, claiming would spoil the butter and ruin Sc . dairy industry ; but tests were made H the keeping-quality of pasteurised aili non-pasteurissd butter, which, prowl beyond doubt that the former .invariably superior. Following this txj bacteriological examinations were made and the evidence in favour of thr * system as a means of destroying the disease germs found in the raw materia more especially the tubercle bacilli, wai so pronounced that the Government immediately decided to pass a lav compelling all dairy factories to adopi pasteurisation. (To be continued.)