DAIRY PRODUCE AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 51, 22 August 1911, Page 3

DAIRY PRODUCE AT HOME.

THE ENGLISH MARKET (

, ADDRESS BY MR. 11. ELLISON.

There was a representative gathering of all the dairy companies in this district at the meeting held on Saturday afternoon to meet Mr. R. fillison, London representative of the National Dairy Association. Mr. A. Morton (president of the National Dairy Association) occupied the ehair. Mr. Ellison dealt with the work he had been doing in London during the last two years, and touched upon many points of interest to the factories gener-1 ally. Speaking of the market during the last twelve months, he «aid the reason for our somewhat lower price was due principally to the large increase in the Australian output and to the fact that a large quantity of 'butter was held in store in London and in the stores at the Baltic ports. The prospects for tke coming season appeared to be excellent. Not only had there been a drought in Britain and the Continent, which would mean that very little provision would be made for winter feed, but the season would open with practically no butter in store, either in New Zealand or at the Home end.

Dealing with the question of quality, Mr. Ellison said he was proud of the [ name our butter had on the London market. Buyers were quite prepared to buy New Zealand 'butter on the grade without seeing it. This was not the case with the Australian article, which was not nearly bo uniform as our own produce. Buyers would rarely bur Australian butter without having seen samples of the different lines. New Zealand produce was much more uniform than that Hieing sent from Australia. The question of uniformity was of the utmost importance, as to get the best results it wajj necessary for buyers to know that they would get a good quality of butter from week to week irrespective of the brand. Practically the only defect which New Zealand butter h"d was that of fishiness, and whilst it could not he said fiat it was very prevalent, where it did occur it was a very serious- defect. When buyers came to feel that any brand had a tendency to fishiness they became very shy. of handling that particular brand. He' hoped out dairy experts in this country would shortly be able to arrive at the j exact cause of fishiness and to effect a I cure.

Touching on the question of moisture in our butter, he said that this matter was tow practically finished with, as neither at this end nor at the London end was over 16 per cent.' of moisture to be allowed, and he had formed the opinion that 16 iper cent, of moisture was not detrimental to our Imtter in any way if properly incorporated. He mentioned that, whilst our butter when sampled appeared to be very free from moisture, that from Australia, which actually contained a lower percentage of moisture, had the appearance of being very moist. This was due, of course, to the fact that in New Zealand practically all the butter was made in tie combined chum, whilst the greater quantity of Australian butter was manufactured in the box churn.

Speaking of Danish butter, Mr. Ellison said that whilst tljp »price of Danish ii-'ter was always compared alongside our own, very little of our butter came in competition with the Danish article, practically the whole of the latter being sold in the North of England, and New|. Zealand butter in the South. The fact that a regular supply of Danish butter came forward week by week throughout the whole year was verv much in its favor, our butter, of course, onlv being available for about eight months. As far as the North of England was concerned the butter trade was largely eonlined to an article which was put up in casiks, and there was a deep-rooted prejudice against butter in boxes. The Danish butter was always sent forward in casks. Some 40 per cent, of the Danish butter was handled by two multiple shop concerns. One of these firms manufactured very large quantities of margarine and sold it in their own shops. It was in their own interests to keep Danish butter at a high figure, so as to turn the trade a* much as possible on to margarine, which carried a much larger percentage of profit. Speaking of cheese, Mr. Ellison said that our best cheese was practically , equal to the Canadian, and was becoming very popular on the London market. He mentioned that although flavour in butter was a most important feature, as far as cheese was concerned the buyers appeared to give most attention to the body and texture. ProbaiMy this was because the flavour of New Zealand cheese had reached a hi ah standard. It ! was very necessary that our cheese should lie of a close, meaty toxture. Cheese was placed on the counter and buyers did not care to buy where, the cheese appeared open and brittle. He advised factories against overdoing the > question of moisture in cheese. Whilst there was a growing demand in London for a somewhat softer cheese, still there were complaints that some of our cheese was containing too much moisture, and when cut on the counter it dried up and cracked. This was. of course, detrimental to the sale of the cheese. Dealing with the question of advertising. lie pointed out that very little was known 6f New Zeaalnd in London nor of our dairy produce. A stood deal of monev had been spent during the past season in advertising our produce by Messrs. Mills and Sparrow and others. He had made inquiries from a great number of grocers, and they were of th« opinion that it was a big help tn their sales to have New Zealand produce well advertised, and be strong l ! v advocated j the factories doing something in the way of establishing n small fund, thai a certain amount might be spent each year on advertising, following up the work ;whicli had been done, during the