FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 17 September 1907, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

SIBERIAN COMPETITION.

We quote an article from the London Daily Telegraph, to which we draw attention. It shows that the Asiatic, although he may be menacing our interests in other ways, is certainly not threatening our butter industry just at present. The London Daily Telegraph says:—"War produces the most unlikeiy consequences. Nobody, for instance, would have supposed that the RussoJapanese conflict would have had the effect of cutting off a portion of Greit Britain's butter supplies. . Such, however, is the ease. We are getting less and less butter from Silieria, although we had become largely dependent upon tint source of import, and this because the war iirst taught the Siberian producers to send their produce east instead of west. While the campaign lasted they got into the lialiit of sending supplies to the Russian army in the Far East. When peace was declared they discovered that Japan, C'orea, Manchuria, and China were excellent markets. Now, from all the principal butter producing districts of Siberia special refrigerated trains are despatched eastward, to the loss of the European markets, Germany included. Geographically there is perhaps much to be said for the use to which the trans-Siberian railway is being put. All the same, the British butter trade does not like the new tendency, for Siberian butter is grassy, well-made, and of good texture, i. is not of quite such high quality as the choicest New Zealand article, but it runs as high in price as medium colonial sorts. Fortunately, colonial supplies are increasing, but if Japan and China develop a taste for butter, as u-jerian experience suggests, Australasian exporters, who are comparativ ;iy near, may direct some of their produce thither. Fortunately we get large Dauish supplies, under a Government label, which it is extremely difficult to use again for fraudulent purposes. But the stave of the Danish butter cask which contains the Government mark is always worth much more than firewood price. There is a common impression that it is only the large supply of margarine which keeps butter below 2s per pound. In the circumstances, therefore, the prospect of the eventual disappearance of Siberian butter from the British market is not altogether pleasant. Nowadays most of the Normandy anil Brittany butter goes to Paris, so that we can expect little relief from that quarter. We must pin our faith to the Danes and to the colonies."

GENERAL. J "If butter factories were centralised in Taranaki as in the Argentine," said j -Mr S. Turner (representative of the lirm of Messrs Wilier mid Riley), ''the system in vogue would be after this fash- , ion:—Express trains doing sixty miles | an hour would pick up the cream every nimorning about 4 or 5 o'clock from convenient depots aiwig -the railway line and convey it to the factories in Weilingtou, where it could be made into butter the same day. From the fac- 1 tories the butter would be loaded in Home-going vessels, and transhipment would be unnecessary." The system would no doubt have its advantages, but its disadvantages are great ami palpable. Steers are remarkably good property in Taranaki at the present time. Calves were slaughtered in wholesale numbers last season, -Mr. Newton King having sold just ou 43,000 ealfslaus during the season. Practically the only calves kept were licil'ers; and the slaughter is apparently to be repeated this season. There are two reasons for this: the extension of cheese manufacture and the growing popularity of pig-rearing. In connection with the latter factor, it may he mentioned (says the New Zealand Times) that there is a prospect of great values in store for pigs. The Christchurch Meat Company will be largely operating, having taken over the works formerly occupied by the .North Island Bacon Company at Woodville, and a good demand is likely to set in from Victoria, notwithstanding a duty of 2d a pound levied on New Zealand pork unuer the Federal tariff. Dairy farmers are coming to realise that with a little care the pig can be made a very profitable animal, and this season will probably provide a considerable addition to their income, \earling steers are worth in Taranaki at the present time up to £2 15s, and older ones represent a val'ie higher in proportion, and everything ' points to a greater value ruling later ' on, with a decided boom next season. The abnormal prices of butter in the 1 Home market last season were partly ■ explained by Mr. J. C. Lovell in his ad- - dress to the shareholders of Lovell and Christmas, Limited, at the last general yr meeting m Loudon. The dry summer e in the Old Country had caused an extraordinary shortage of butter, so that ill ' July and August, when colonial conf tracts were generally made, prices were abnormally high. There was au enor- " iuous competition to obtain the goods, and all buyers paid higher prices tlun ; they were justified in doing, liy Janu--1 ary a very sensible decrease had taken e place, and in February prices were far r below the cost of the goods when Y shipped from the colonies. Thus in Uce tober prices liad advanced to 110s and » 120s, while ill February they had i- dropped to litis. These ligures would c give them some idea why the profits ,i during the past season were considert ably less than during the previous a twelve months. The year had been a j. yery anxious time for them all, and the losses to the trade might be estimated ® at £200,000

Siberia produces about 80 per ceut, of her butter between the middle of .May and the middle of September, bo tlut there is consequently a shortage in the Home market between the end of September and the arrival or New Zealand produce. In the opinion of a prominent butter buyer, it would pay A'ew Zealand factories to consign their April, May, and June makes of butter instead of selling locally.