DAIRYING MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 9 March 1906, Page 3

DAIRYING MATTERS.

At Wednesday night's meeting, Mr Kinsella, Dairy Commissioner, had scarcely sat down from his address when the first questioner arose, in the person of Mr J. Carey. "Is it justice to the dairy farmers," he asked, "to put a man to test butter who had never worked iu the dairy industry ?" Mr Kinsella justified such an appointment, in certain cases. For instance, some of the ablest butter judges in the world had never made a pound of butter in their lives. Mr Carey said he did not believe it would pay to cull cows, at a cost for testing of a shilling a head per year. The Chairman remarked that sentiment had a lot to do with the farmers' reluctance to cull cows. The calves were raised on the farm, fed by the fanners' sons, were quiet, and perhaps good milkers, and it was hard to make the farmers part with the animals, or believe that they were unprofitable. Mr Kinsella considered it hardly wise to treat dairy cows as pet lambs. Mr Carey was of opinion that cows culled'front one herd would be snapped np by dealers for " five bob apiece," and sold to other dairymen. Mr Kinsella thought that such a practice could be prevented. Mr Batey, manager of the Stratford Farmers' Co-operative Association, stated that in his district the amount of butter-fat from cows in a herd varied from 61b to 71b. The six-pound cow was surely a waster, but, as a rule, was the best-looking beast in the herd. No cows weeded out as unprofitable milkers ought to be allowed to be sold again as milkers.

Mr Carey wanted to know whether it would not be wise to appoint factory managers as inspectors of milkingsheds ? iMr Kinsella said tliey would make good inspectors certainly, and good inspectors of milk. Some managers regularly visited their suppliers' milking premises, and, as a result of their suggeslions, (he condition of milk supplied had improved. It would not be practicable to appoint them inspectors sf herds, because they already had enough to do. Testing cows had paid handsomely in Denmark, and must be advantageous to dairying here. Mr R. C. Tcmplcr (secretary to the Midliirsl Co-operative Dairy Company) related how, a few years ago he had, by testing and culling, increased the productiveness of a herd from olb of fat per cow to Sib, in three years. On those figures, the expenditure of a shilling per cow iu testing appeared to be a sound investment.

lii answer to Mr Carey, llie Cominissiouer staled that as yet the Dc : parlment hail no delluito information on which to give any opinion ou the quality of milk supplied from dairies where milking machines were iuslalled. Beplying to Sir lkley, lie said that he would pasteurise the milk rather than cream. It should be healed to Isßdcg. aiul cooled rapidly. A farmer present Mas of opinion that our butter was not sufficiently pushed at Home by the merchants. Fop instance, a friend of his in the butler business in Aberdeen wrdte the other day that he had never seen New Zealand butler. Mr Kjnsclla: Well,! was in Aberdeen three days, and saw New Zealand butter in live different warehouses. Mr B. W. Koberlson read an extract from a letter received by him from Mr Ituddick, formerly Dairy Commissioner in this colony, staling that after much hammering lie had got testing associalions at work in CiUiadn, and hoped they would be kept up.

Mb Cuddie. . 1 Mr D. Cuddie, Assistant to the 1 Dairy Commissioner, was the next ! ' speaker, touching on the quality of butter, and the necessity for the use «.f the alkaline test for cream " ripening." 1 He complimented makers andjnanagers s on the verv Hue samples of butier ex- I ainined that da)', and on the correct 1 pointing by several .of those present. J He had seen the butters at Lytteltqn. Auckland, and Wellington, and hid , been much struck with the uniformity -| shown. At New Plymouth, however, ( there was a greater proportion of high grade butter than at any of the other ports. At Moturoa that day tliey had r found thirteen line* of butter wliieli > failed to obtain 88 points in a possible 1 lot). Most of these hailed from proprietary creameries, where work was 1 done without up-to-date appliances. , One sample had pointed BS, two 8t). i four 'JO, six 91 and OU, eight 1)2 and y2J, fou(»03 and t»3A. two Ul, three !io, , and one USA. These results were good, ' but there was a regrettable lack of uniformity. Our best butters were very little short of Hie Danish finest, and the Danes' superiority was obtained, not in the making, but on the farm*, He dwelt ou the different points and defects noted in the butter, and Remarked that a poor article wasunsatis- I factory all round. The buyer was i dissatisfied, because by it ho lo»l money and retail customers ; the maker was : dissatisfied, or ought to be; and the milkers were dissalislicd. They were the pr'm-ipal sufferers, because poor < bulter -.leant poor returns. There was little excuse for a factory manager making bad butter if he could improve it—an ho often did—during the visit , of the instructor. He should be able to keep up the improvement. " Good butter is made in the cream vat," said Mr Cuddie, and the secret lay in cream ripening. No starter at all was better than a bad starter, and good starter; could only be made from the best milk. Every manager should grade his own butler, and,' if possible, grade his neighbours', and compare notes. Then again, everv factory should exhibit at the provincial shows. Jt his produce was never compared witli his competitors', how would the manager know where he stood ? Any man afraid to show bis butter in competitions should give up the business. Concluding, Mr i Cuddie urged the directors to support . the manager in his efforts to improve , the milk supply. > Mit Sixoi.i'.rox. Mr Singleton, Cheese Instructor, re--1 marked that he had been well pleased • with the butler he had seen that clay, i aiul attributed most of the noticeable , defects to the raw material. Of course ' there were factory faults, too, princi- ' nally ni the propagation of the 1 sUrlers. The alkaline test had been - a real friend to the checscnmkcr, and I would be of the same value to the butlermakcrs Over-ripe starters made the conditions ideal fur the proL ' pagation of the inferior genus, and - germs that were not wauled. Cone eluding, he said tlnd the test oE quality , t W4S made when prices were receding. With rising prices everything was lovely. Buyers, milkers, and everyone else were making lots of money, and s anything would sell. Y\ ilh prices falling, the demand was for the best parcels and then quality told. Mil Tifoiixrox.

Mr Thomlon, grader in charm- al Auckland, warned tlu- 'l'aranaki produccts tint Auckland was making a «ding-dong" go (o roach the same standwd of quality as had been shown tils'- dav at Moturoa. He corrected Ms Auckland statement that boxes ol butter siionM vonlain olilbs Sozs inclusive of paper. Tliis would be rfelit with dry butters, but the general average reared olilbs l2o» m each box, t-bus allowing eight ounces for shrinkage, and four ounces for tinweight of the parchment paper. J.I^JUN. In proposing a Vote oj ihanksln the about tlia care ok milk, hut lllij »' K very often afraid io speak ou and condemn the poor and dirty stud supplied by the i>;g shareholders. 11 they M ' lii-v would turn up I a'". I'ikilois must ba-k up the m:in:i«ei"i when they refused had milk (applause) or tlu-;. must, of course, get bad butter. 11. was 8 »rry there was such a .» ... teudaucc u£ " the people the la!.mi

were providing a living tor," and. for the absence of Mr Newlon King ami Mr J.. C. George, who were absent from Now Plymouth. The vole was carried by acclamation, ami Mr Kinsella lvlurned thanks, expressing the hope a similar conference would be held here next year. He compli'iieuled Mr .l.ihnstone oil the very explicit', maimer in which lie li:ld ai'l'. (he uhole confei'eiii-e ami the present luceling. lie Imped thai the graders and oilier Government ollleials connected with the iinluslry would always continue to help the farmers, and this could easily be done ii' Ihe fanners would make suggestions us to improvements, and so forlh.