PUBLIC MEETING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 8 March 1906, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING.

SPEECH lis UY DAIRY .EXPJiIiTS, There whs a large attendance at the | Town Hall, New Plymouth, on Tuesday night, when addresses were gi\v!: by the members "!' tl,.- t.m.-niH, m |staff ou dairying mutters, Mr !(,

Okey, vice-President of tlie Taranaki Agricultural Society was in the chair, and. ill opening 1 lie meeting. said lie was pleased that these conferences wen- now arranged, and hoped llinl this would be an annual Taranaki lixInre. New Zealand had to catch up I lie eiglu shillings dill'erence between the price obtained for Danish butter, and that sent from here. Mr Kinsella, who was greeted with hourly applause, expressed gratification ill Ihe large attendance at the conference, whose value could int be overestimated. This had sprung from the successful Cheese Conference down south, and, in the absence of expertmenial stations, the conference must serve as educational mediums. Canadian and other producers met in this way about twice a year, and discussed methods of importance—the same thing year afler year—and got their improvement by hamcring away, and interchanging ideas. Sp,taking of the good feeling engendered by these gatherings led Mr Kinsella to thank the Freezing Works people for their hospitality that day (Applause), He complimented the managers and makers on the lino butters sampled but toned I his down with a remark that there was yet room for much improve, nent. Somo of the high-grade butters, pointing high at the grading stores, deteriorated in the passage Home. The remedy lay in a purer milk supply, and in the pasteurising of milk, which system had been adopted by the Danes with highly profitable results. It was the more necessary here, owing to our distanoe from the Home market.

Mr Kinsella depreciated the encouragement given to home separation, for the cream received from home separators had nearly always been found to detrimentally affect the butter, both at the grading stores aDd on the English market, damaging the reputation of the factories taking raw material from these sources, owing to the many flavours in the cream from different dairies. The system must be discouraged within handy reach of creameries or factories.

Mr Kinsella reiterated his opposition to the manufacture of unsaltcd butter, first, because it was paving the way for faking or adulteration, and, secondly, because its manufacture had a tendency to attract managers from the proper systems of manufacture. Butter was shipped without proper working at the factory, simply bocause it was sold unsaltcd. He had always advocated a drier butler, and this, together with the use of pure cultures, must effect a great improvement in the quality of the butter generally, The sale of uqsalted butter would affect our reputation, for without salt the butter lacked flavour and keeping qualities. With reference to the argument that we had to supply what buyers wanted, Mr Kinsella considered there was no need, so long as we could obtain good prices for the salted | article. With regard to the use of preservatives, he might be asked why the Department did not sec to the matter, of testing for the guidance of butter manufacturers. lie had always advocated (he establishment of an experimental station, from which factories could obtain information ato the best preservatives to buy, line, saving, »|. limes, considerable loss, lie had found that managers sonic limes spoiled llavor by using eves.of preservatives. He considered thai pasteurisation should entirely supersede preservatives, and I hen we would be somewhere 011 a par with Denmark. Pasteurisation might lie a little more expensive, but if it paid Ihe Danesand it had undoubtedly done so -ll would pay us. In marketing and disposing of our produce we had a lot to learu from the Danes, whose system was the finest in the world. Control societies at Home and agents in England protected their prices and brands. He considered that our butter should, as far as possible, go through the same channels every year, so thai il could obtain a footing 111 the market. Good cultures were essential to good butler, yet tho starters were sometimes made on weighing stands, instead of in a special room with special appliances. A central laboratory was needed from which the lactic ferment could be prepared and sont out fresh to every factory manager weekly. The breeding and selection of tho dairy herds was a vital matter to the industry, and animals culled from a herd should be branded so that no other dairymen should be victimised by purchasing them in the saleyards. More care must be taken, too, to keep the cows in better condition in winter, and to bring thorn in in good condition.

We were faced to-day with the greatest danger that could befall the dairying industry—that of abortion. The statement was made at Auckland the other day that quite a third of the cows in the Waikato were not in calf. The hull was largely responsible for carrying the disease from farm to farm. Now, and not in the springtime, was the time to deal with the disease. Contagious nianiniitis was also prevalent to a large extent this year, and practical demonstrations of the best way of treating it would be the best means of working for its eradication. They all knew what the Danes had done in testing herds, but here in New Zealand, at least a third of the dairy Herds of the colony woro not even reproductive. He advocated forming small societies of fanners, paying about a shilling per head of I heir cow's, and obtaining Government assistance towards the cost of testing. By this means', Rouble the output could be secured from tlio same number of cows, Mr lyinsella considered that there should be a man stationed in London to give reports 011 the slate in which ouv hotter and cheese was landed, A couple of good men there could give us good, sound, and reliable informal ion, which would help tlio farmers and factories in overcoming dilliculties in manufacture. I'liey could also deal willi the packing of our butter, it backed up by legislation, 'he "civ Duller Bill gave power (o ollieials (o eiiler the blending places, and such power might wisely be given !o the >'e»v Zealand agents or any oilier similarly situated o|||eials. An experimental school was urgently needed, so that the <iolony eonhl train its own experts, \ manager, ill two or three winters, with' access to good libraries, etc., could pass examinations for a State diploma. Such a diploma would lie a good reference, and directors would be safe in engaging nuinagers holding these diplomas,

All agvecil (lint faeinry managers, as far a,-, praelieal manufacture, had reached a high level to-day, There were some places where this was not the case, and there the blame was attachable to the manager. Thy greatest improvement was to be alltained by improving the quality of the milk on the farm. He was sure that had the system of dairy inspection adopted live years ago been continued, it would have been, &{ value of the .niirying industry, Until tkpre was Instruction as well as in-spee-lion thprp must be sunie defeats in our produce e\j)ovted, owing to want of care on the Farm, The Danes were far more careful than the New Zcalaiiders. Here, the aeration \\a„ sometimes worse tlian no aeration at all. The stand was erecetd right alongside Hlthy cowbyrcs, or the aerator, was made of kerosene t(n with a few holes jiuncl|ci| ii> it, He thuught that the department oonkl stand all the criticism about the ui'piu'lineiut -s xy.stuHi of lUli.ving second grade "tamps ou second grade butter, I he Australian Governments were now adopting our grading system, recognising that ibis had led lo the great success of our dairying jmlllNlpy, Ml' Kinsella concluded by :i;>peal|iijj lor tl\e >n of mir lvllit jiinc torosts, aijd the reforesting of denude areas.

Some ipieittions were answered, hut : [lipse nn\s|, be dealt with in to-morrow's isßiic, together with the remarks of Messrs Caddie, Thornton an Singleton. luterc.stiiiy and instructive weetiag.