Farm Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4401, 22 April 1909, Page 4

Farm Notes.

ggrTHE BUTTER POSITION L, FO.l’T !ERN AUTHORITY'S OPINION , : 'jgtij, "Y . . ’ i Pup: dairy produce writer of the Ifcaro D 'ily Time i who Tins an inti—nn'e ncqnaintancn with the >7> export < rju-’e since its incept ion,>;ha& ; this to *fj»y of the present regrettableposition >f New Zeeland butter : “A drop rif >s I per ewt is a fJuhsj#oH&l‘-$R f° r * 1 wpek in tlie priced «f <;b) New ( S*>alnnd, rv n if entirely duo to a dull, j ifeless market; hut when drop ; is adijed ‘ {fie signifify*nt inforination j that # btiyWs *PXpftM Mftifctewifaction 1 with New Zealand butter this season ( an.aceoun" of increased moisture, the i position becomes a serious; one, aud 1 Balls for immediate attention. The quotation oi 98s in Bonbon for choicest New Zealand factory b\itU r represent 9d to 9]d f. o. b. iifen*, rfj>Vl. ; although some contracts have recently ( been, nj,edfyat, 9fd t thp^e,pricey cannot j be got be now. This drop in price isa serious matter, but the indication t of a falling off in quality of one of our pjipeippl articles of export is very much njore serious , For, a,number of years past New Zealand butter lms been steadily and surely winning its way into a first-class position on the Home owing to ,itp dryness, and it attained to the proud position of having distanced in price the Australian, Argentine, and Siberian article and -was --coming - up to the- lev.el of D tnish price and reputation. But in an evil hour, and with the intention of beating the Home butter grader, ’a considerable number of the New Zedland factories, acting on the suggestion of irresponsible writers, increased the moisture, and followed the practice of Australian factories in .waterlogging. The object of this change lias been a lowering, not only in the price obtainable, but also a loss reputation, which it vUI take time to recover. JFhe New Zealand article Js now classed alongside that' of Siberia, whereas formerly, owingto’ dryness, it ranked lOd per ewt higher in the London market. with a large and undue proportion of moisture .in it does not open out well, and it does not keep on being defrosted. Some of our factories are now sending out butter with ,15 per cent of moisture as agaipst not more than 10 or 11 per cent formerly, and this fact explains , the meaning,,of .the, High Com- 1 missioner’a cable. It is ho secret in butter circles that Home buyers who have, recently entered into contracts with some Nbw Zealand factories Have stipulated that there shall not be more than 10 or 11 per cent of moisture, a condition which was not formerly heard of. ”