FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 222, 12 September 1908, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

The litratiord Co-operative Dairy Co. is paying out to its suppliers tor August, aad September Is per pound for but-ter-lat. The Eo'iigok.iko Co-operative outesj Company (W'airarapa) is consigning its season's output through a Wellington agent, It issatisfactory to note tile virile tone ol" tile cheese market. It is understood that (id per lb, f.o.b. Wellington, is being offered by a Wellington merchant (says the Dominion). This price means practically Ms per ewt. in London. < The impression which has gripped the minds of many farmers that vile Government is insisting 011 a 30ft race to milk-sheds is entirely erroneous, says the Eltham Argus, What the Government is insisting on is that mud and dirt be kept 30ft away from the sired, for the very good reason that otherwise it might contaminate the mill;. Farmers are at liberty to comply with this regulation as they will, either by having a concrete yard and keeping it cleun or by a raw. The latter is recommended by the Department as being the most convenient. The opinion ol tlie Department 011 this point was endorsed by some of the Kaponga suppliers 011 Holiday when Mr. J. \V. Deem, inspector, met them to explain tiie position, and was combated by others, Mr. W. Swadling was 07ie of those who thought the race the easiest way of keeping the dirt back. Another farmer said that if he were going to build he would have a race 30ft by 3ft. Jlr. Deem said that lie was conlident that in a few years farmers would all have adopted the race of their own accord. In reply to one of the Kaponga suppliers Jlr. Deem statvd'that tile Department had an objection to cows being fed in the Shed by an overhead loit, but did not prohibit it. The Ballanee Co-operative Dairy Co., one of the largest butter companies in New Zealand, has sold its present season's output. Tliv.' price has not yet been made public, but it is understood to b» a record in the history of the company. The abnormally high prices obtained- last season for butter, with the possibility of a depleted English market t'his season, and the enterprise of tlic National Dairy Association m its proposal to ship direct, with '.lO middlemen, are considered to lorm an almost certain guarantee that high prices will be offered by the English produce companies operating ill New Zealand. The Ballanee Company -3ias for three years past adopted the policy of selling its product outright.

The Masterton Co-operative Dairy Co. has not yet decided whether it will' consign or sell this season's butter output, It is understood that very satisfactory offers have been received for tlie purchase of the output, and fanners are somewhat exercised rn their minds to decide whether it would not be better to accept something substantial rather than risk the loss which might be occasioned through a possible slump. On the other hand, the opinion has been expressed that thure is every reason to believe that butter will lie somewhat scarce on the London market this year, and that prices will ,bu fairly high. The opinion is confirmed in a modified way by the prices which arc at present being offered to the co-operative companies by the agents of the London firms. The English butter market has during the past five or six years derived its supplies chiefly from about fourteen countries. Within this period a steady decline has tak-en place in the quantity exported by Helgium and the Argentine, , while Germany has fallen so low in comparison that it appears reasonable to expect in a very short time she, will beconw an importer instead of an ex- , porter. The imports to England from Holland and Norway, though small, have shown little fluctuation, and together with the United States, can lie regarded as a very minor factor in the market. Practically the only countries showing a permanent im-iva-c over a number of years are Denmark, New Zealand. Canada, Australia, and Siberia. Statistics point to the fact that the struggle for supremacy in the principal markets of tlie world was mainly with tliesii five countries, the remainder being of comparatively small importance in the matter of quantity of output. An interesting feature of tlie trade lies in tlie fact t'hal the imports from Australia to England covered hy a period of three years are next to Denmark in respect to quantity, Russia, New Zealand, and France following in order of importance.