FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 146, 29 September 1910, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY

HOUR OUR BUTTER IS TREATED IN ENGLAND. CONFESSION OF A BUTTER FAKER. From time to time a number of people have been sent Home to find out what really does happen to our butter before it gets into the tends of the consumer (writes the Dairyman). Most of these people have a royal time, and everyone comes back looking jolly, fat, and comfortable, and all are a little mysterious, tout as to telling what really happens to the butter they only shake their lieads, look a little more or less wise, and say nothing. Of all the men who have been sent Home to investigate this matter, it is hard to say from whom we have learned the Wast. Now, however, we are 'quite independent on this score. We know. From an experiEawed butter blender who has now made his home temporarily* in New Zealand we have learned the Whole story. Before'- we bevdn to tell what we have learned from liim we wish to draw particular attention to the fact that we mave .been told hundred of times that our butter and Australian generally is principally used for what is known in the grocery I trade as the "shilling cut." That is, for selling at one .shilling per pound. Obvilously, when the wholesale price is at or near 112s per cwt., this shilling cut busi- ; ness cannot be run at a profit. But the 1 English grocer is equal to a little emergency like this. His method is simplicity'itself. We would like particularly I to' impress this method' on all those butter artists whose distinguishing and ' peculiar characteristic is that they have always been most successful in making (the minimum of butter from the maxi- . mum of fat. After they have the fori mula of the grocery trade for providing ; the people of "Merrie England" with a ; mixture that can be profitably sold retail at one shilling per pound, we trust that will see the absolute idiocy of making "the smallest quantity of butter from the largest quantity of fat, and begin to study the interests of their employers, .•the * primary producers of the fat ; aforesaid. The formula for the shilling cut is as follows: — J s. d. 21bs N.Z. butter at Is lb .... 2 0 I 21bs Siberian at Od lb 1 0 I -21bs Dutch margarine at 3V s dlb 0 7 ■lib Nestle's milk, at 5%d .... 0 5 1 / s

4 ey 2 This gives seven pounds of butter for the shilling cut trade, and gives the grocer a profit of practically half-a-crown on every seven pounds of this mixture that he can sell. "Of course," continued the ibutter-faker, in making his confession to us, "bhifl is strictly against the law, but that difficulty is easily got over. Every inspector has a girl assistant to make his purchases for him when he is seeking for breaches of the law, and the »irl i/ soon better known than the inspector himself, and as soon as the girl ms left the shop the word is pas-ed •ound that she',is "on the warpath." As i consequence she is served with genuine ratter wherever she goes. No prosecu;ions, of .course, can follow, and the nixer, blender or faker goes 011 merrily vith his very profitable business. Now t seems to us that, with this knowledge jefore us, we .should soon be in a position ;o make the most of our butter. All the (lenders admit that New Zealand is inlispcnsable to get the fine flavor. Siberian is indispensable to get tlie„cheap ingredient. The suggestion, then, is ob« 'ious: The formation of a Grand International Dairy Association of the World, ■vhose principal business would be the (lending of New Zealand, Australian, Sijerian, and other cheap butters in one lentral warehouse in London. One dis-' tributing house' might be selected, who should control and sell the whole of the >utputs of the respective • countries in ;he alliance, and practically any price, lot 'exceeding that asked for Danish but;er, might thus be obtained for the but;er, ithe proceeds being paid out to the •espective shareholders on the basis of she prices ruling in London for the vari)us butters. One of the highest commer>ial authorities in the Dominion recently oublicly defended and championed blendng as a necessity of modern commerce, instancing whisky blending, tea blendng, and the blending of other food prolucts to justify his argument. So that die scheme of the Grand International Association of Butter-blenders of the iVorld would start on its certain and prosperous career with every assurance )f success. We are confident that if the ,vhole outputs of the world, excepting Denmark, were handed to or.e firm for Jreat Britain for distribution, they vould be perfectly willing to spend £IO,OOO, or even £20,000 per annum in idvertising the internati.onal blend. This iroposal, when carried into effect, will idd at least 10 per cent, to the prices if all the butters in the combine.

The Hawera Star reports that at last week's horse sales the demand was good., and many of the animals purchased wore for the Australian market. A fine draught filly, the property of Mr. Ilegan, of Matapii, was sold for 51 guineas, and another belonging -to Mr. A. T. Wills fetched 50y 2 guineas. Good geldings commanded up to £45, and lighter sorts fetched from £3O to £37. Light draughts were disposed of from £ 18° to £2B. The stallion,. Captain White, owned by Mr. W. H. Oollett, of Timaru, changed hands at 41 guineas, and a team of four Clydesdale gelding?, on account of 31r. J. D. Mitchell, was sold for 170 guineas.