FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 91, 12 September 1914, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. The fact that one.of the largest sources of foreign-supply of butter" f or-tho United Kingdom 'has-virtually -been' closed through the war lends especial interest to the review of the imported dairy produce trade of Great Britain for the twelve months ended on dune 30 last. Denmark alone excepted, Russia is, in 1 fact, the largest supplier of butter to 1 the Mother Country, and in the past season she contributed nearly one-fourth of the total quantity imported by Great Britain J'rom foreign oountHes, the quantity supplied by her being 41,050 tons. This is very nearly as.much as was received from the whole' of ;the British dominions; which supplied 42,74(it0n5. This quantity was 2898.t0ns in excess of | the total pi the imports .from the British Empire in the preceding season. The whole of the increase came from New Zealand, which supplied 3193 tons more than in 1912-13. Unfortunately, partly through the disorganisation of the trade ' through the waterside .workers' strike, the average"price or-New Zealand butter showed a considerable reduction. It is to he regretted, that the quality of the article shipped from this Dominion has again .furnished cause, for criticism. Upon this point the observations offered by Messrs W.Wcddell and Co. in their, review of the: trade, are '■ pertinent: "It is , not .possible, to point to any betterment in New Zealand Butter generally this season; some of the best factories have given up buttermakin;-, and from, among ; the others there was shipped, a larger proportion than usual which was not strictly choicest. As the custom of making it from . collected cream is spreading, that may be the eause. : This custom has been . practised in Australia and America, but has failed there, though strenuous efforts are being made to prevent its'total Condemnation. (Butter-making is a fermentation industry, and it is impossible to mix creams of: various ages,, together so that they all ripen' at the same time. ■Butter made from such creams must inevitably lose a great part of its delicate flavor and its sound, keeping qualities." As • there should be a greatly improved . market this season for butter, the complaint respecting the quality of the article exported from the Dominion should not be; disregarded. The tendency to the production of cheese instead of butI ter—of which a result is shown in the fact that, whereas the imports of cheese into the United Kingdom from the Bri-j-tish dominions list year. were, smaller., than in the preceding,year, those from New Zealand alone were heavier by over -1000 tons—has probably been accompanied by a measure of carelessness in Imtter-m'aking. It must be apparent, however, that the European war is providing an. exceptional opportunity for the expansion of the colonial butter trade in Great Britain. With respect to the New Zealand cheese that was placed on the British market in the past season, the authorities from whom wo have alreadv quoted' assert that, al- ■; though a considerable-improvement was shown in the early part of the season, the article still lacks, ilayor and make, and a nearer approach, ill color to a creamy white (not a dead'white) and a brighter red (not a deep red, for which the demand is only limited), is -recommended. It is also suggested that the success which has been attained by the use of pasteurised milk for cheese-mak-ing warrants further experiments;