TESTS AT TOKAORA

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1926, Page 15

TESTS AT TOKAORA

. A VALUABLE EXPERIMENT EXPLANATION BY SCIENTIST. THE PROCEDURE ADOPTED. (From Our Own Reporter.) Hawera, Nov. 19. In view of the many and varied opinions in regard to the tests being carried out at Tokaora as to the relative values of the milk from different breeds of cattle from which to make cheese for export, and in view of the misapprehension on the part of many people a News representative to-day interviewed the scientist in charge of the investigation, Mr. P. O. Veale, M.A., B.Sc., who made the following statement: “Briefly summarised, our aim is to determine as a result of a year's cheesemaking with tlie milks of the Jersey, Ayrshire and Friesian breeds, what class of milk and what type of cheese is best suited to the export trade for which we cater. To this end, the milks of tho three breeds are being made into cheese under ordinary factory conditions in three experimental vms specially made for the purpose and situated in an ordinary cheese factory. Full analyses by standard official methods are being made daily in the laboratory of all constituents of the milk, whey and eheese, and these tests will be continued daily throughout the whole season. Each batch of cheese is weighed separately, will be graded in New Zealand, regraded, weighed and valued in London, and full reports on its quality and suitability for the trade will be supplied by a committee of experts appointed in London. VALUE OF THE TESTS. “Among some of the items of fresh knowledge which we confidently expect to obtain may be mentioned: Whether high or low-testing milk is best suited to tho manufacture of eheese under New Zealand conditions (which are different from American); whether (to quote various partisan statements) cheese made from high-testing milk is rich and mellow or whether it is greasy and uninviting; whether cheese made from low-testing milk is well-balanced and rich in nutritious proteins, or whether it is hard, brittle and indigestible.

“We will also discover whether the trade for which we cater has any special preferences in regard to cheese, in which case our records will give particulars of its history, including variety of milk from which made, conditions of manufacture and curing, time of transport, and, last but not least, full analysis, including percentages of moisture, but-ter-fat and proteins.

“We will also discover whether the “trade” will really pay a higher price for cheese having 3 or 4 per cent more butter-fat than that of our competitors, and thus we will find out whether we are wasting money, or on the other hand, creating a reputation for quality by using so much high testing milk for cheese-making. If any variety of cheese is more prone to shrinkturing returns than another, or is more conducive to unavoidable losses—if any variety of eheese is more prone to shrinkage or to develop any merit or fault —all these facts will bo discovered, and we consider that the results will have the profoundest bearing upon tho future of New Zealand’s cheese industry. “Student,” however, considers that “the results of the tests the Federation is entering upon were determined by official tests carried, out in the United States of America over 30 years ago.” “A FUND OF KNOWLEDGE.” "It is quite possible that, arising out of the great mass of data compiled during tho experiment, some consideration may be given to the basis of payment for milk for cheese-making, but to state that this is the beginning and end of our investigation is to-misrepre-sent tho position entirely. Our experiment wm certainly create a fund of knowledge specially relating to all phases of the manufacture of cheese under New Zealand conditions, without which no consideration of the basis of payment would be possible; but our investigation was mooted, and its foundations laid, long before the controversy regarding pay-out attained its present prominence.

“New Zealand factory managers have developed numerous practices peculiarly their own; and this fact, coupled with the recogniseddifferences in the climates and methods of feeding and treatment of cattle, lead us tp believe that American results ‘determined over 30 years ago’ will not apply exactly here. Hence we have made all conditions of production, manufacture, curing and export of our checso identical with the usual factory methode as practised in New Zealand.

SCHEME FAVOURABLY REVIEWED.

“I would like to state,” said Mr. Veale, “that our experiment has been favourably commented upon by prominent authorities and recognised leaders of scientific thought in New Zealand's dairy industry. The general expression of opinion is that it has been planned with the minutest attention to every detail," and that, as a consequence, results of .the greatest value to the New Zealand cheese-making industry will be obtained. In addition, we are receiving the hearty co-operation and assistance of the Dairy Division and the Control Board, both in New Zealand and in London, thus indicating their faith in the soundness of our procedure and the future value of our results.