Farm Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4402, 24 April 1909, Page 4

Farm Notes.

MOISTURE IN BUTTER. ... HAS IT LOWERED PRICES? • • \GTObY CIIAIHMAN’S VIEWS in •. / UK question of 1 moisture in New aland butter isappmmtly regard'd sluue of ihe important topics of dis* i sic in -in dairy circles cow. Tjhe its Hint more 1 New Z aland butter fthHArear has ►. u shown by olficial aralysis; and Unu iry i > the warnimr..ot. the (Jr - e.ii.nent dairy “eSjfftrtS t iliat name i- i- me a ill mennipoorer butt r and Its» jcice on tin markets, the mlouse’i t moisture seerasijta be, in * poiiiid', • f bourse, t-fjat the extia uoisiuie ■ nables the factory maunder o make more butter from the cream. , t TafaO 'kf factory chjiiru/ap, in con- 1 eudiifgh the reduced prices of this waaou / ie not due to increased incisure. speaks rather clispatagin'gly of Menders. This is contrur/to the View fit ■; N*'.w Z/dlaiid’s good prices for a hum belt iofyear a past were due partly! to keen competition of these blenders for the New Zealand butter. The views expressed by the factory chairhowever,’ as reported by the/

Taranaki Herald, contains some interesting points. He said “It is worth while to consider whether ulterior motives have not largely influenced/ the attitude iof those London merchants or brokers who have been responsible for raising . this question of moisture in New Zealand bill ter 7 Tf mustnot be forgotten that from the time the first shipment of New Zealand butter reached London, the market has been steadily falling;' and that this fall in prices is not in any way connected with the question ot moisture content is proved by the fact that Dapish . and Australian and all other butters have suffered to an equal extent by reason of this drop. To say that the fall in Danish has been caused by an -increased water content would be an absurdity, and yet we are being, asked tq Relieve that this ig a reason why/,New;Zealaiul produce has dep eciated in value in the eyes of the consumer.. What is more reasonable tb assume' is that; e London ‘bears,’ whose ‘purpose it sometimes suits to bring the market prices down, have found this qnestion of ' ‘ excessive moisture ’ an exceedingly convenient handle to use to our fletrin eat. If our butters are put; into the hands of the retailer without, havingHityforgone 'any blending process, it is extremely unlikely that lie will find fault with the moisture content as long as the quality is good, and on that point, he no doubt satisfieshimself before he buys. (To be pontinued)