BUTTER AND CHEESE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1792, 20 September 1888, Page 2

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The following may be of ininterest to some of your readers. Apart from the English make of butter and cheese, which is very large, the enormous importation into England can hardly be credited, and yet there is no surplus. To give an idea of the extent of the trade the following figures, which are official, will be of interest:—ln 1887 the imports of cheese from all countries into England were 1,834,467 cwts., representing a money value of £4,508,937; of this quantity 759,463 cwts. were sent from the United States, 631,837 went from Canada, Holland sent 362,014 cwts., France 30,260 cwts., and other countries 50,893 cwts. The butter imports into England were, in 1887, 2,788,000 cwts., the value being £11,886,717. Of butter and butter substitutes England imports the produce of not less than 1,400,000 cows. We find that in the year 1880 the number of cows in the United States was 12,443,000, and in Canada in 1881 there were 3,514,989 cows, yet in 1887 Canada sent 631,837 cwts. of cheese to England against 759,463 cwts. from America, thus showing the superior make and preference given to Canada, and there is every prospect of a similar preference being given to the makt of New Zealand cheese and butter. The excellence of the best qualities of cheese and butter made in this colony have been a surprise to many, and with prompt shipment in cool chambers, before any old flavor is shown, there is no doubt that the competition between New Zealand and Canada will be v«ry keen. The London Customs returns show that all cheese and butter shipped to London from Australia and New Zealand from the Ist of November, 1887, to June 30th, 1888, were as follow : New Zealand, 16,017 cwts. of butter and 28,320 cwts. of cheese; New South Wales } 7721 civts. of butter; Victoria, 3012 cwts. butter and during the period mentioned only 137 cwts. of cheese; 94 cwts. of which went from New South Wales, and 43 cwts. from Queensland. The estimated consumption of cheese in Great Britain is now about 61b. per head as against 2 lb in 1860, and it is still increasing. Therefore there cannot be the slightest doubt but that England can take all the butter and cheese New Zealand and Australia can send there, but let all whom it may concern take notice that both must be of the best quality.—l am, etc, Contributor. Geraldine, Sept. 19,1888, —.—«,, . .......